State disburses Sh12.6b for climate adaptation projects

The government has allocated Sh12.6 billion to 45 counties for the Financing Locally-Led Climate Action (FLLoCA) programme in an ambitious step to combat climate change and promote sustainable development.

 Peter Odhengo, Head of the Climate Finance and Green Economy Unit and FLLoCA programme coordinator at the National Treasury said the funds were disbursed to the devolved units last month to promote climate mitigation and adaptation across the country.

“This financial commitment is part of the country’s strategy to enhance resilience to climate-related impacts at the grassroots level to empower local communities and ensure that climate action initiatives are both effective and inclusive,” he explained.

Only Nairobi and Mombasa counties missed the funds because they did not meet the requirement threshold at the time of issuing the funds, prompting them to be locked out.

“The procedures set out to access the funds and also in monitoring and evaluation or to recall the funds, if diverted to another use, is so rigorous that if you don’t meet the requirements then you are locked out of the funding program,’’ Odhengo said in Kisumu during an assessment of FlloCA projects.

Also present was National Treasury and Planning Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi. Kisumu got a grant of Sh306.34 million.

So far one of the casualties in monitoring and evaluation is Kakamega County, who were forced to return Sh283 million which was erroneously withdrawn from the FLLoCA kitty and used in other functions other than the intended purpose. They got a total grant of Sh432,392,837.

“We have since reached out and recovered the money after we established it was withdrawn and demanded to see where it was used only to realise that it was spent on non-flloCa projects. They have since apologized,’’ Odhengo disclosed. He warned the counties against misusing or diverting the funds for any other purpose that defeats the primary purpose of what the whole projects were intended for, calling for prudent management of the climate funds.

Monitoring and evaluation

Odhengo explained that effective monitoring and evaluation mechanisms will be set in place to assess the progress and impact of climate action projects. This will ensure that resources are used efficiently, and successful interventions are scaled up to benefit more communities,’’ he asserted.

The FlloCa programme, he said, is designed to directly address the growing challenges posed by climate change in Kenya, particularly in rural and vulnerable communities, mostly mothers vulnerable to climate impacts at household levels.

“These rural areas often withstand the worst of climate-related disasters such as droughts, and floods each rainy season due to unpredictable weather patterns, which have significant socio-economic implications,’’ explained Odhengo. He disclosed that by allocating funds specifically for locally led climate initiatives, the government aims to empower communities to take charge of their climate action, ensuring that interventions are relevant to their unique environmental, social, and economic contexts.

The programme is also aligned with Kenya’s commitment to international climate agreements, including the Paris Agreement.

“It emphasises the importance of decentralising climate action, ensuring that even the most marginalized communities are part of the national response to the climate crisis,’’ Odhengo said.

Mbadi noted that the programme was viable and tenable because it supports the creation of green jobs, promotes sustainable agricultural practices, and integrates climate adaptation strategies into local development plans.

The Sh12 billion allocation, they said, is expected to cover a wide range of climate action areas, with a significant portion of the funds expected be used to enhance the capacity of local communities to adapt to climate change.

This includes initiatives aimed at improving water management, building drought-resistant agriculture, enhancing food security, and developing climate-resilient infrastructure in vulnerable areas.