- Kenya is the first African country to pass a Climate Change Act in 2016
- Uhuru will set out the ambitious actions Kenya is taking to tackle climate change.
President Uhuru Kenyatta will on Monday join world leaders at the UN climate talks hosted by the UK to take collective action to tackle climate change.
Heads of state, leading scientists and environmental activists will converge in Glasgow, Scotland, for the 26th Conference of Parties (COP). The annual event focuses on issues related to the climate crisis and global emissions.
Originally scheduled for last year, COP26 was postponed because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
On the first day of the talks on Monday, Uhuru will tell the summit about the actions Kenya is taking to tackle climate change.
He will showcase Kenya as a leader in climate action in the region.
Kenya is the first African country to pass a Climate Change Act in 2016 and runs on 90 per cent renewable power, with a target of hitting 100 per cent by 2030.
On the second day, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson will host Uhuru and other leaders at a high-level event on innovation.
Marathon champion Eliud Kipchoge will join Uhuru to press for action to halt and reverse forest loss.
The athlete has been at the forefront of conservation and restoration of forests, adopting 50 hectares (123 acres) in Kaptagat forest, which received part of Sh550 million worth of UK funding to support Kenya’s climate transition announced during Uhuru's visit to London in July.
Uhuru will be joined by senior members of the Kenyan government during his two-day visit, with different Cabinet secretaries staying on for the conference.
This year’s conference comes a few months after a UN report warned that extreme weather and rising seas are happening faster than expected, labelling it a “code red” for humanity.
More than 100 world leaders are expected to attend the Glasgow conference, including United States President Joe Biden and French President Emmanuel Macron.
China’s President Xi Jinping and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, are among those not attending.
Edited by A.N