Political manifestos short on specifics regarding climate change

Although Kenya has been commended for having some of the most progressive laws and policies to combat climate change, the issue has not featured prominently enough in the agendas of those currently competing for various leadership positions during the current electioneering period. Given the far-reaching nature of the negative impacts of climate change, this situation is worrying.

From a review of leading concerns among the citizens gleaned from social and mainstream media platforms, the high cost of food is one of the leading worries on the lips of most Kenyans. More specifically, the cost of maize floor has featured so much in recent months, underscoring the value of maize and its products, particularly floor, in the diets of most Kenyan households.

Whereas those in government have blamed the international market for the current high prices of food, the impact of changing seasons, possibly occasioned by climate change, has not received sufficient attention. One of the effects of climate change in Kenya and the entire Horn of Africa region, has been its changing seasonality.

Over the decades, the peak maize growing and harvesting season coincided with the long rains period. Maize growing in most high-potential areas occurred regularly during the March-April-May quarter and the June-July-August period, with harvesting generally taking place in August.

In recent years, particularly the last ten years, however, the regular, predictable onset of rains appears to have been offset, such that the distinction between the “long rains” and “short rains” has become less clear cut. In fact, during some years, there has apparently been heavier and better distributed rainfall during the “short rains” season, pointing to a possible role of a changing climate on rainfall patterns.

It would, therefore, be expected that politicians, particularly the leading candidates in the presidential contest, would give climate change some prominence in their campaign messaging. Importantly, the measures their governments will take need to be much more specific than currently stated in their manifestos.

To be fair, Hon. Raila Odinga’s Azimio La Umoja Party Manifesto highlights “climate-smart agriculture” as a subsection in its 10-Point Agenda titled Azimio la Ukulima (Our resolution on agriculture). It goes further to make commitment towards adopting green development practices, growing knowledge for addressing environment and climate change challenges, and adopting new approaches to conserve genetic and biodiversity resources.

Mr Odinga’s main competitor, Deputy President, William Ruto, to his credit, has more specific plan on climate change with clear targets on three areas namely, afforestation, biomass fuel and solid waste management.

None of the two manifestos have mentioned the Kenya National Adaptation Plan (NAP) 2015-2030, which seeks to enhance climate resilience towards the attainment of Vision 2030 and beyond. Given that Kenya like most developing countries, ought to invest more on climate change adaptation as opposed to mitigation, the apparent failure to give prominence and specificity to climate change by national leaders is concerning.

Agencies working to support the implementation of the NAP will need to prepare to sensitise the new Government on the need for Kenya to stay on track as a leader in mainstreaming climate change in its laws and policies.

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