Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Korir Sing'Oei /HANDOUTThe Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs has clarified
reports on the granting of Host Country Status to the Global Center on
Adaptation (GCA), dismissing claims that the decision was influenced by
political pressure.
In a statement, Principal Secretary Korir Sing’oei said the
process was transparent and followed all legal requirements under Kenya’s Privileges
and Immunities Act (CAP 179).
The GCA, an international non-governmental organization
based in Rotterdam, Netherlands, focuses on accelerating climate adaptation
solutions worldwide and has regional offices in Nairobi.
According to the ministry, it is responsible for negotiating
and concluding Host Country Agreements with international and intergovernmental
organizations and managing diplomatic privileges and immunities in Kenya.
Sing’oei said that the Ministry received a formal request
from GCA on July 27, 2023, seeking consideration for a Host Country Agreement
to establish and operate its Regional Office in Nairobi.
The office aims to support Kenya’s climate diplomacy and green
growth agenda.
The application process was finalized on April 20, 2025,
when Prime Cabinet Secretary and Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary signed Legal
Notice No. 82, granting privileges and immunities to the organization and its
international staff.
Later, on September 30, 2025, Parliament ratified the
decision after reviewing the request, conducting stakeholder hearings, and
holding public participation sessions as required by Section 17 of the Act.
The ministry clarified that the privileges granted to GCA
are not unique but are consistent with those extended to over 170 other
non-state entities providing technical assistance in Kenya since 1984.
Organisations that have received similar privileges include Oxfam,
Save the Children, Union of Radio and Television Africa, Centre for Agriculture
and Bioscience Organization, World Wide Fund for Nature, International
Cooperative Alliance, The Centre for African Family Studies, International
Planned Parenthood, and the Lutheran World Federation.
These privileges cover areas such as tax exemptions on
specific goods used for official purposes, protection from legal suits over
good-faith actions, and work permits for international staff.
Sing’oei emphasized that the Host Country Agreement with GCA
followed due process and was based purely on Kenya’s diplomatic and legal
framework.
“The imputation that the Host Country Agreement to the
Global Center on Adaptation was granted as a result of external political
pressure is without any foundation,” he stated.
The ministry reaffirmed Kenya’s commitment to transparency
and partnership with global institutions promoting sustainable development and
climate resilience.
The construction of the world’s second Global Centre on
Adaptation (GCA) headquarters in Nairobi commenced in July 2025, marking a
major step in climate resilience efforts across Africa.
President William Ruto presided over the groundbreaking
ceremony of the Sh1.7 billion project at the Kenya School of Government (KSG).
The three-storey facility will comprise, among others, a
research hub, restaurants and will also house Mazingira House, the headquarters
of the Ministry of Environment.
It is set for completion within two years with the funds for
its construction entirely coming from the international body.
