Experts Push for Law to Clean Up Kenya’s Environmental Profession.

Lilian Wandaka, from Plan International implementing the Conservation and Sustainable Management of Ecosystems (COSMIC) project supported by Global Affairs Canada. Faith Matete 

A push is on to bring order, accountability and professionalism to Kenya’s booming environmental sector, a space that experts say has for years been marred by weak regulation and conflicts of interest.

At a public participation forum in Kisumu, stakeholders backed a proposed law that seeks to regulate environmental practitioners across the country from researchers and climate scientists to consultants and conservationists.

 The proposed Environmental Professionals Bill, currently at the committee stage, aims to create a statutory body that will oversee registration, licensing, and quality control for all environmental experts in Kenya.

 The meeting, convened by Plan International, brought together professionals from Kisumu, Siaya, Homa Bay, Migori, Kakamega and Bungoma counties, who shared their views on the draft law.

 According to Stephen Tirop of Plan International, the Bill represents a turning point for the environmental field.

 “For a long time, the space of environmental experts has been controlled by the Environmental Institute of Kenya, which is only registered as a society. We now want to move a step forward and have a law that formally governs and protects the profession,” Terro said.

 He said the Bill will end overlapping of roles between the National Environment Management Authority (Nema) and the institute, a problem that has long frustrated practitioners.

 “Nema is a regulator not a welfare body. It licenses projects and experts at the same time, which creates a conflict of interest. The new law will separate these functions and establish a professional body, just like the Law Society of Kenya or the Nursing Council.”

For Lilian Wandaka, a member of the team implementing the Conservation and Sustainable Management of Ecosystems (COSMIC) project supported by Global Affairs Canada, the consultations are critical in ensuring the Bill reflects realities on the ground.

 “We want practitioners to shape the Bill so that it supports them as they implement environmental initiatives,” she said.

 She added, “Our biggest concern is inclusivity. Environmental work involves different sectors from fisheries to forestry and not everyone has a degree. The law should recognise experience as well as academic qualifications.”

 Wandaka said both the Coast and Lake Basin regions are central to Kenya’s blue economy, and it is important that professionals working within those ecosystems are supported by a fair, well-structured regulatory framework.

 Environmental consultant Ibrahim Oluoch, a lead expert and member of the Environmental Institute of Kenya, welcomed the Bill as “the missing link” in Kenya’s environmental management.

 “For years, the profession has lacked order and discipline,” he said, adding that this Bill introduces clear entry requirements and professional categories to ensure accountability.

 He added that while those without formal degrees should not be locked out, the law must define levels of competence to maintain credibility.

 “Doing an Environmental Impact Assessment report is not a walk in the park. You can’t expect someone without the right training to sign off on a report that determines whether a project gets funding. We must categorise experts properly to protect the public and the environment,” he said.

 County officials also expressed support for the new framework.

 An environmental officer from Western Kenya said the Bill would be the first of its kind to bring structure to the sector.

 “We don’t have county-level policies regulating environmental professionalism,” he said. “This Bill will stop infiltration by unqualified individuals and make the sector more credible.”

 From the academic front, experts argue that Kenya’s environmental challenges from climate change to chemical pollution demand a robust professional framework.

 “It’s high time we established a body to regulate the operations of experts just like we have for doctors and engineers,” said Clifford Omondi a lecturer representing academia at the forum.

“The Bill will bring decency, accountability and quality assurance in environmental practice.”

 He said while the Bill proposes a university degree as the minimum qualification, it also leaves room for lower tiers of registration for practitioners with practical experience.

 Tirop confirmed that Plan International and partners have already held similar consultations in the Coast region and will continue across the country.

 “Experts have operated as a voluntary body under the Societies Act for years, without legal backing,” he said.

 He added, “This law will finally give them recognition and ensure environmental management in Kenya is handled by qualified, accountable professionals.”

 He also thanked Ndaragwa MP, who sponsored the Bill, for “championing a long-overdue cause.”

 “If passed, the law will be a game-changer not just for environmental experts, but for Kenya’s pursuit of sustainable development,” Tirop added.