Governors eye Sh57 billion for climate action plans

Council of Governors Chairperson Anne Waiguru flanked by other governors during a press conference on El nino preparedness on November 7, 2023. [John Tiapukel, Standard]

The Council of Governors (CoG) has petitioned the National Assembly to intervene and unlock the Sh57 billion grants from the Financing Locally Led Climate Action Program (FLLoCA) to mitigate the impact of climate change.

Speaking in Shinyalu constituency, Kakamega Governor Fernandes Barasa who doubles as CoG Finance and Economic Affairs Committee Chairperson said they risk losing the funds if Parliament does not exempt counties laws that bar them from getting conditional grants directly from County Revenue Funds.

"Counties are set to receive funds for climate-resilient investment grants from FLLoCA and before the agreement is executed, it needs to be approved by the county assembly following public participation in all counties," said Barasa.

"We want the National Assembly to give exemption towards accessing conditional grants. Counties should use the existing legal frameworks and therefore in the long term we need the legislators to repeal the section," he added.

The governor said the exemption will ease accessibility to the funds because of the existing legal frameworks under the intergovernmental agreement for disbursement and absorption of funds.

For example, Kakamega County will require Sh5 billion to implement the climate change action plan, with a substantial portion of the funding expected from FLLoCA, climate change investment grants, and county allocations.

Barasa acknowledged receiving Sh22 million in county institutional support grants adding that Kakamega had already secured Sh200 million from the World Bank under the (FLLoCA) programme.

The funds from the World Bank, along with contributions from the governments of Denmark, Germany, Netherlands, and Sweden, will be channeled through the National Treasury and subsequently allocated to the county for the implementation of the project.

Barasa announced that Kakamega County is among the devolved units that have qualified for the FLLoCA funding program.

According to the World Bank, to be eligible for climate financing, a devolved unit must have established a county climate change fund, a county Climate Change Unit, and conducted a participatory climate risk assessment in the wards.