When Kenya ushered in devolution through the 2010 Constitution, it wasn’t just a political milestone but a potential lifeline for communities most vulnerable to climate change.
The promise was that local governments, empowered by County Integrated Development Plans (CIDPs), would take the lead in shaping development agendas that responded to grassroots realities, including the growing climate crisis.
Over a decade later, how much have CIDPs achieved in advancing Kenya’s climate change response? The truth is mixed. While there have been notable steps forward, the potential of CIDPs to drive local climate action remains largely underutilised.
At their best, CIDPs have provided an entry point for climate priorities to be articulated at the county level. Some counties, like Makueni, Kisumu, and Laikipia, have shown commendable leadership by mainstreaming climate change into their development blueprints, establishing County Climate Change Funds (CCCFs), and supporting community-led adaptation initiatives.
These models prove that when political will, technical capacity, and community participation align, CIDPs can be a powerful tool for local climate resilience.
However, in many counties, climate change still appears as a footnote, if at all. Climate-related actions are often listed vaguely, with limited budgeting or follow-through. This reflects a deeper challenge: the persistent treatment of climate change as a “standalone” issue rather than a cross-cutting pillar that influences health, agriculture, infrastructure, and water management.
The disconnect between national policies, like the Climate Change Act 2016 and Kenya’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), and county-level implementation continues to slow progress.
While counties are closest to the communities bearing the brunt of climate impacts, they often lack the resources, data, or technical expertise to translate plans into meaningful action. Both domestic and international climate finance mechanisms have yet to flow adequately to the grassroots.
As counties finalise their third-generation CIDPs (2023–27), there is hope and a critical window to correct course. Counties must go beyond token mentions of “climate change” and anchor their development agenda in climate-smart strategies.
This includes investing in nature-based solutions, disaster risk reduction, early warning systems, and locally led adaptation practices that reflect the lived experiences of communities, especially women, youth, and pastoralists.
Equally important is ensuring that climate action is not just planned but funded. Counties must ringfence climate budgets and actively pursue innovative finance, including leveraging carbon markets and public-private partnerships.
Kenya’s vision to become a climate-resilient and low-carbon economy cannot be realised without empowered, climate-literate counties.
CIDPs remain the most strategic tool for aligning national ambition with local action, but only if we treat them as living documents, not filing cabinet decorations.
The road to net zero and climate resilience runs through our counties. Let’s make CIDPs count.
The role of local civil society, researchers, and Indigenous knowledge systems must also be recognised as vital in shaping context-relevant solutions.
The writer is a climate action enthusiast and a communications specialist at Windward Communications Consultancy.
