The Ministry
of Interior and National Administration inaugurated a landmark capacity-building
programme for Chiefs under the National Climate Change Security
Resilience
Programme (NCCSRP), signalling a decisive move to integrate climate action into
national security and grassroots governance structures.
The
training, held at the IGAD Centre for Climate Prediction and Applications
(ICPAC), is part of a wider effort to equip National Government Administrative
Officers (NGAOs) with tools for local climate risk coordination and
resilience-building.
The
programme also engages officers from the National Police Service, Kenya Prisons
Service, and Immigration Department, establishing a multi-agency,
whole-of-government approach.
Interior
Principal Secretary Dr. Raymond Omollo, emphasised the growing urgency of
climate-related threats, citing their direct links to internal displacement,
intercommunal conflict, and economic vulnerability.
“This is no
longer just an environmental concern. It is a matter of national security.
Chiefs are uniquely positioned to act as trusted conveners and now, climate
champions at the community level,” Dr. Omollo said.
Since its
national rollout in May 2024, the National NCCSRP has engaged more than 13,000
Kenyans across 1,600 grassroots groups mobilised by Chiefs.
The monthly
Chiefs Climate Action Day, observed every first Friday, has seen communities
plant an average of over 250 trees per site nationwide, demonstrating local
ownership of the national tree-planting campaign in support of the President’s
directive to grow 15 billion trees by 2032.
Omollo
reaffirmed the government’s commitment to a whole-of-society response,
highlighting the critical partnership with IGAD, which provides technical
expertise in climate risk analysis and resilience programming.
“As we plant
trees, we are not just restoring landscapes - we are planting peace, stability,
and hope,” said the PS.
Climate
Security Advisor to the Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa Dr. Elizabeth
Carabine, lauded Kenya and the wider Horn of Africa region for advancing
climate-responsive governance.
“Member
States in this region are setting the global standard on operationalizing the climate–peace–security
nexus. Kenya’s approach offers a replicable blueprint for other nations,” she
noted.
Dr. Abdi
Fidar, Director of ICPAC, reiterated IGAD’s commitment to supporting member states
through coordinated efforts that link climate resilience with peace and
sustainable development.
During the
session, Omollo urged the Chiefs to cascade their training to peers in their
respective regions and champion technology-based climate solutions.
“Kenya has
over 4,000 Chiefs across the country. You are not here just for your locations
- you represent the administrative fabric of this nation.”
Referencing
last year’s devastating floods, which claimed at least 40 lives and displaced
over 3,000 people, Omollo emphasised the urgency of national resilience
measures, including the ongoing Nairobi River Restoration Programme, now being
replicated countrywide.
The event
was attended by senior officials including Abdikarim Mohammed, Coordinator of
IGAD’s Climate Security Mechanism, as well as Chiefs from across the country
and members of the NCCSRP Secretariat.
