Council of Governors Chairperson Anne Waiguru has lauded measures being taken by the President Wiliam Ruto administration to unlock climate action finance at the global level.

Waiguru, who is also the Governor of Kirinyaga County, indicated that the devolved financing models for adaptation being piloted in Kenya were showing great promise.

“Piloting of innovative decentralized-County Climate Change Funds took place between 2011-2018 by the Adaptation Consortium in the ASAL counties of Garissa, Isiolo, Kitui, Makueni and Wajir, where the financial and governance structures for the county’s climate actions were designed, demonstrated, and strengthened while ensuring that local communities were central in the decision making on resilience building and adaptation investments,” noted Waiguru.

She noted that Kenya pioneered a climate change governance mechanism to boost finance for local climate action including establishment of The County Climate Change Fund (CCCF).

The fund consists of climate legislation enacted by county governments and a county-controlled fund that funds climate projects identified and prioritized by local communities.

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“The legislations provide for allocation of estimated 1-3 per cent of development budgets to climate action in the 47 counties with 45 counties having already enacted the legislations,” she added.

Waiguru was speaking during a session dubbed “Uniting leaders: States and Regions Unlock Multi level climate action at COP 28 in Dubai” organized by Bloomberg Philanthropies.

She said CCCF is key in national planning and financing framework that fortifies capacity and channels funds from local and global sources to community-driven climate action priorities.

“The County Climate Change Fund mechanism strengthens the capacities of counties to mainstream climate change in planning and budgeting, access climate finance from different sources, strengthen public participation in the management and use of those funds and adopt a more climate-resilient development pathway using strategies that also protect and empower the vulnerable,” she added.

Anne Waiguru and William Ruto. PHOTO/TWITTER

Waiguru noted that Kenya’s Financing Locally-Led Climate Action-FLLOCA Programme will bolster the capacity of counties to plan, track and implement climate resilient projects.

She indicated that following the commencement of FLLOCA, a catalytic climate action financing, the model has now been adopted in all 47 county governments across Kenya.

She divulged that all counties got USD8.9 million for institutional support and 45 of them will get USD66.3 million more in climate resilient investment grant in the current fiscal year.