Implementation Challenges of Kenya's Climate Change Act (2016) at the Urban County Level: Case Studies from Counties in Kenya

  • James Kamau Mbugua, PhD Limuru Municipality
##share.article##:

الملخص

Kenya's Climate Change Act (2016) was a landmark legislative step toward mainstreaming climate resilience across all levels of governance. However, its implementation at the urban county level has faced significant challenges. This paper investigates these challenges through case studies of Nairobi, Mombasa, and Kisumu counties. Using a qualitative methodology that includes policy analysis and stakeholder interviews, the study identifies key barriers such as inadequate funding, limited technical capacity, and weak intergovernmental coordination. Findings reveal that while counties have made efforts to integrate climate actions into their development plans, the level of implementation varies significantly. For instance, delayed disbursement of funds from the national government hampers timely execution of climate programs (IPF, 2023). Moreover, the lack of robust legal frameworks and technical expertise at the county level impedes progress. The study recommends enhancing capacity-building initiatives, ensuring timely financial transfers, and fostering better coordination between national and county governments. By addressing these challenges, Kenya can strengthen its climate governance and enhance urban county-level resilience

التنزيلات

بيانات التنزيل غير متوفرة بعد.

المراجع

AP News. (2023, November 7). Kenya declares a surprise public holiday for a national campaign to plant 15 billion trees. https://apnews.com/article/c0b82a93b185d8b47e2867e4f3ca7b9f

County Government of Mombasa. (2023). Mombasa City County Climate Action Plan 2023- 2050. https://repository.kippra.or.ke/handle/123456789/4768

Daily Nation. (2021, October 22). Counties slow to act on climate change legislation. https://nation.Africa

FT. (2024, April 23). Kenya brings in emergency measures to combat 'unprecedented' floods. https://www.ft.com/content/7d37a457-a939-4a14-a340-b9e357347a0d

Kisumu County Government. (2020). Kisumu County Climate Change Act No. 7 of 2020.

Kisumu County Government. (2023, February 6). Ward committees set up to oversee climate change action plans in Kisumu. https://www.kisumu.go.ke

Mutinda, M. M., & Abok, A. M. (2022). Stakeholder involvement and implementation of climate change adaptation strategies in Mombasa County, Kenya. Journal of Public Policy and Administration, 6(1), 34–43. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.jppa.20220601.15

National Climate Change Council. (2022). Progress report on implementation of the Climate Change Act 2016 (2016–2022). Government of Kenya.

Standard Media. (2023, October 17). Why Nairobi struggles to implement climate adaptation strategies. https://www.standardmedia.co.ke

Transparency Partnership. (2020). Subnational climate governance in Kenya. https://transparency-partnership.net

World Bank. (2023). Financing Locally-Led Climate Action (FLLoCA) Program. https://www.worldbank.org/en/programs/financing-locally-led-climate-action-program

The Star. (2024, February 5). Kisumu allocates 2% of budget to climate change fund. https://www.the-star.co.ke

Bastos, J., Monforti-Ferrario, F. and Melica, G. (2024). Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy – Greenhouse gas emission factors for local emission inventories – Covenant of Mayor’s collection – 2024 datasets, Publications Office of the European Union, 2024, https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2760/014585

Naeku, M.J., (2020). Climate change governance: An analysis of the climate change legal regime in Kenya. Environmental Law Review, 22(3), pp.170-183.

Institute of Public Finance (IPF). (2023). Kenya's Public Financing crisis: Is debt rescheduling a viable option? [Link: Institute of Public Finance (IPF) https://ipfglobal.or.ke/2023/]

Council of Governors. (2024). https://cog.go.ke/wp- content/uploads/2025/01/DECEMBER_E_NEWSLETTER_2024-3.pdf

Barbi, F. & Ferreira, L. C. (2013). Climate Change in Brazilian Cities. Policy Strategies and Responses to Global Warming. International Journal of Environmental Science and Development.4(1), pp. 49-51.

Yin, R. K. (2014). Case Study Research Design and Methods (5th ed.). Canadian Journal of Program Evaluation, 30(1), 108–110. https://doi.org/10.3138/cjpe.30.1.108

Oluchiri, S. O. (2025). Urban Flooding in the Cities of Kisumu, Mombasa, and Nairobi, Kenya: Causes, Vulnerability Factors, and Management. African Journal of Empirical Research, 6(1), 342–351. https://doi.org/10.51867/ajernet.6.1.29

Mulwa J, Kioko E & Gravesen M.L. (2025). Aligning the management of nature-based solutions to locally led adaptation principles: A case study of sand dams in Makueni County, Kenya. Nature based solutions. 7. 100226

Brackel, L. (2021). Continuous Negotiation in Climate Adaptation: The Challenge of Co-Evolution for the Capability Approach to Justice. Sustainability, 13(23), 13072. https://doi.org/10.3390/su132313072

Kalogiannidis, S., Kalfas, D., Papaevangelou, O., Chatzitheodoridis, F., Katsetsiadou, K.-N., & Lekkas, E. (2024). Integration of Climate Change Strategies into Policy and Planning for Regional Development: A Case Study of Greece. Land, 13(3), 268. https://doi.org/10.3390/land13030268

Mbugua J. K. (2025). Urban Greening and Nature Based Solutions Potential in Mitigating Climate Change Impacts in Municipalities. Journal of Cities & Infrastructure: 1 (1), 1-8

County Government of Kisumu. (2020). THE KISUMU COUNTY CLIMATE CHANGE ACT, 2020

Creswell, J. W. and Poth, C. N. (2018) Qualitative Inquiry and Research Design Choosing among Five Approaches. 4th Edition, SAGE Publications, Inc., Thousand Oaks.

CSIS. (2025). 2025 Global Development Forum. Retrieved from https://www.csis.org/events/2025-global-development-forum

Republic of Kenya. (2016). Climate Change Act No. 11 of 2016

IPF Global. (2024). IPF STRATEGIC PLAN 2024- 2028. Retrieved from https://ipfglobal.or.ke/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/IPF-Strategic-Plan-2024-2028.docx

PACJA. (2025). Call to Mobilize: Rising Together for Climate and Economic Justice in 2025. Retrieved from https://pacja.org/call-to-mobilize-rising-together-for-climate-and-economic-justice-in-2025/

NAP Global Network. (2022). Gender Review of National Adaptation Plan (NAP) Documents: Kenya.

Kiremu M., Scrimgeour F., Mutegi J, and Mumo R. (2022). Climate Finance Readiness: A Review of Institutional Frameworks and Policies in Kenya. Sustainable Environment 8(1):1– 10. https://doi.org/10.1080/27658511.2021.2022569

Jörgensen, K., Jogesh, A., & Mishra, A. (2015). Multi-level climate governance and the role of the subnational level. Journal of Integrative Environmental Sciences, 12(4), 235–245. https://doi.org/10.1080/1943815X.2015.1096797

Biesbroek, R., Wright, S. J., Eguren, S. K., Bonotto, A., & Athanasiadis, I. N. (2022). Policy attention to climate change impacts, adaptation and vulnerability: a global assessment of National Communications (1994–2019). Climate Policy, 22(1), 97–111. https://doi.org/10.1080/14693062.2021.2018986

منشور
9 حزيران, 2025