Kenya has launched a major review of its National Environment Policy, signalling a shift in how the country plans to confront escalating climate risks, environmental degradation and mounting economic pressures linked to natural resource loss.
The review of the 2013 policy comes as climate impacts intensify across the country, from prolonged droughts in arid regions to recurrent flooding, pollution, and mounting waste management challenges in urban centers. Government officials say the existing framework, while foundational, no longer reflects the scale or complexity of today’s environmental realities.
Speaking at a stakeholder forum in Nairobi, Principal Secretary for Environment and Climate Change in Kenya, Festus Ng’eno said the policy review is intended to modernise environmental governance and reposition Kenya to respond more effectively to climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution.
Since its adoption more than a decade ago, the National Environment Policy has guided the sustainable management of Kenya’s natural resources. Ng’eno acknowledged its role in shaping environmental regulation, but said intensified climate impacts, land degradation, governance gaps and financing constraints now require renewed strategic focus.
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Environmental protection, he stressed, is not optional. Article 42 of Kenya’s Constitution guarantees every citizen the right to a clean and healthy environment, while environmental stewardship is embedded in the Constitution’s preamble, elevating it to a national obligation rather than a sectoral concern.
The revised policy is being aligned with Kenya Vision 2030, the Fourth Medium Term Plan, and the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda, as well as international commitments under the Paris Agreement, the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework and the Sustainable Development Goals.
This alignment reflects a growing recognition that environmental policy is inseparable from economic planning.
Climate shocks already carry significant economic costs. According to development partners, extreme weather events are disrupting agriculture, damaging infrastructure and increasing fiscal pressure through disaster response and recovery. Key sectors such as agriculture, water, energy, tourism and housing, central to Kenya’s growth strategy, are increasingly exposed to climate risk.
Ng’eno said the revised policy will place stronger emphasis on job creation through green and blue economy opportunities, particularly targeting youth and women. Circular economy enterprises, agricultural waste management and ecosystem-based livelihoods are expected to feature prominently as the government seeks to link environmental protection with employment.
Ecosystem restoration is another central pillar of the review. The policy is expected to reinforce the government’s commitment to grow 15 billion trees by 2032 and increase forest cover from the current 12.8 per cent to 30 per cent. Protecting critical water towers remains a priority, given their role in food security, hydropower generation and urban water supply.
However, past restoration efforts have often struggled with weak enforcement, land tenure disputes and limited community participation. Analysts note that the success of the revised policy will depend on whether conservation targets are matched with viable livelihood alternatives for communities living in and around fragile ecosystems.
Financing is also a major focus. The principle secretary for environment and climate change pointed to plans to integrate sustainable finance instruments such as green bonds, carbon markets and natural capital valuation into environmental governance. With public resources under pressure, the government is increasingly looking to private capital and blended finance to support climate adaptation, mitigation and restoration efforts.
Advanced monitoring technologies are expected to play a larger role as well. The policy review proposes wider use of digital tools and data systems to strengthen enforcement, track environmental change and improve early warning for climate-related disasters. Observers caution, however, that technology alone will not close governance gaps without stronger institutional capacity, particularly at county level.
Inclusivity has been positioned as a guiding principle of the review process. Ng’eno called on national and county governments, civil society, the private sector, development partners and academia to actively engage, arguing that effective environmental policy must reflect both data and lived realities.
Previous reforms have faltered at the implementation stage, often due to limited consultation and weak coordination across institutions. Whether this review avoids a similar fate will depend on how stakeholder input is translated into enforceable policy and funded action.
The Nairobi forum brought together representatives from the Kenya Climate Innovation Center, UNDP, UNODC, the National Treasury and environmental agencies, signalling an attempt to build cross-sector ownership.
The policy review arrives at a critical moment for Kenya. Climate change is no longer a future concern but a present economic and governance challenge. As environmental pressures intensify, the country faces a narrowing window to align development ambitions with ecological limits.
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