The government has secured Sh39.3 billion to roll out locally-led climate action financing programme.
The fund, which the government secured in collaboration with development partners, targets to address the effects of climate change in communities.
Treasury CS Njuguna Ndung’u said the government will ensure communities are fully involved in the utilisation of the fund.
He said climate finances should reach the vulnerable people, who are the most affected by the impacts of climate change.
The climate action programme will be implemented in 45 rural counties, following the successful piloting of county climate change funds.
Nairobi and Mombasa have been left out because the funds target rural counties. The counties are required to allocate two per cent of their development budget for climate change adaptation.
The piloting has proved to be effective in promoting capacity building and identifying community-based climate change programmes, to mitigate the effects.
Ndung’u said through support from the World Bank, Germany (KFW), Sweden, Denmark and the Netherlands, the government is ready to release the funds to the counties to start the programmes.
“We are focusing on enhancing our national systems to ensure funds reach the most vulnerable people through expanding on the existing capacities to effectively tackle the evolving climate change trends,” he said.
Ndung’u spoke during the implementation of agro-restoration of ecological zones around Lake Victoria region.
The initiative launched for 16 Lake Region Economic Bloc (LREB) counties in Kisumu, brought together governors and development partners.
Governors James Orengo (Siaya), Wilber Ottichilo (Vihiga), Hillary Barchok (Bomet), Paul Otuoma (Busia), Amos Nyaribo (Nyamira) and Erick Mutai (Kericho) attended.
Ndung’u said lack of funds is the major bottleneck to inclusive community development growth and adaptation to climate change, which has caused extreme poverty to millions of Kenyans at the grassroots.
The LREB component of the FLLoCA programme funded by KfW Development Bank (Germany) will strengthen the capacity of the 16 agro-ecological counties.
They include Kisumu, Trans Nzoia, Elgeyo Marakwet, Bungoma, Uasin Gishu, Busia, Kakamega, Nandi, Siaya, Vihiga, Kericho, Homa Bay, Nyamira, Migori and Kisii.
The funding, he said, will devolve climate finance and spur local resilience at the ward level to mitigate and adapt to the effects of climate change effectively.
Environment CS Soipan Tuya said funding from development partners will help in addressing gaps in climate change adaptation and mitigation.
She said inadequate resources have been the major challenge that has hindered implementation of climate action programmes.
Tuya said the government needs Sh62 billion annually to initiate climate mitigation programmes and close to Sh170 billion to implement the long-term strategy.
“We are expecting each county to identify one ecosystem to focus on and showcase the design of FLLoCA as the adaptation programme. The funds will open doors for other funding towards addressing effects of climate change,” she said.
Tuya urged governors to develop on the existing structures while initiating the programme to ensure the funds are used on the intended projects.
The counties, she said, should build on the existing structure and use the county environment committees, county climate change committees and ward climate change committees to roll out the programme to enhance efficiency and reduce duplication.
Orengo called for collaborative towards tackling effects of climate change at community level.
