Public Service Cabinet Secretary Geoffrey Ruku addressing an audience at the celebration of World First Aid Day in Nairobi County on July 12, 2025/HANDOUT.
Public Service Cabinet Secretary, Geoffrey Ruku, has challenged the Kenya Red Cross Society to seek accreditation from the Green Climate Fund (GCF) to enhance its capacity in building climate-resilient communities through emergency health and disaster response systems.
Speaking during the celebration of World First Aid Day at the National Competition in Nairobi, Ruku noted that his earlier proposal to the Kenya Red Cross to pursue the accreditation was not received well and now wishes to repeat it.
“As an MP, when I proposed to the Kenya Red Cross to pursue GCF accreditation, I didn’t receive a favourable response, perhaps the issue wasn’t well understood,” said the CS.
“I now wish to repeat, as the Minister for Special Programmes, that it is important for the Society to secure this accreditation,”
The GCF is the world's largest climate finance mechanism, which plays a critical role in accelerating transformative climate action in developing countries.
GCF operates through a country-owned, partnership-driven approach, leveraging flexible financing and climate investment expertise to support long-term resilience.
Ruku has called on the Kenya Red Cross and other humanitarian partners to develop a coordinated, cost-effective framework for first aid and disaster preparedness that avoids duplication of roles and maximises efficiency.
“Kenya Red Cross and other partners must come up with a proper working framework that reduces costs and improves efficiency. We must align our resources and strategies to better serve vulnerable communities affected by climate-related disasters,” he said.
To enhance coordination, the CS announced that the State Department for Special Programmes would convene a multi-agency meeting to align national preparedness and disaster response efforts, in accordance with Executive Order No. 1 of 2025.
He also encouraged the Kenya Red Cross to form partnerships with the Global Centre for Adaptation (GCA), a newly launched centre which, when fully operational, will spearhead research, innovation and policy formulation on climate change adaptation across the public and private sectors.
“In this regard, I encourage the Society to work closely with the Global Centre on Adaptation and the Government of Kenya across the 47 counties to reinforce climate change solutions and empower communities for citizen-driven innovations towards sustainable development,” Ruku stated.
The CS has also urged the Kenya Red Cross to collaborate with the Kenya School of Government on Continuous Professional Development (CPD) programmes and with the National Youth Service (NYS) and the State Department for Special Programmes on joint training and disaster drills.
Public Service Cabinet Secretary awarding First Aid medics during World First Aid Day in Nairobi County on July 12, 2025/HANDOUT
Public Service Cabinet Secretary Geoffrey Ruku during World First Aid Day in Nairobi County on July 12,2025/HANDOUT
