Nairobi, 5th November 2021- In response to the media reports that President Uhuru Kenyatta is positioning Kenya to be Africa’s voice on climate change at the UN Security Council and increasing Kenya’s tree cover, Greenpeace Africa Campaigner, Claire Nasike has said:
‘’Smallholder farmers are already bearing the brunts of a drought that has pushed them further into hardship and poverty. The president of Kenya needs to put his words into action as he makes commitments to increase Kenya’s tree cover by 10%.
“Climate change poses a grave danger to humanity as livelihoods are lost due to changes to precipitation patterns pushing many to poverty and food insecurity. Smallholder farmers who feed 80% of the population in Subsaharan Africa are most affected. The current actions by the government are not reflective of the commitments that the President is making at COP26.
‘’Trees are currently being chopped down in Nairobi city to pave way for more concrete in the name of an expressway. The President needs to stop speaking from both sides of his mouth and ensure that Kenyans are cushioned from the impacts of the climate crisis by protecting the remaining trees and ensuring that we plant more. The heatwaves in Nairobi are intensifying, because of the declining Green spaces in the City. We need more trees, not expressways.
“More than lip service, the government needs to address Climate change since it’s affecting the Kenyan population which is reeling from the effects of the COVID 19 pandemic. Smallholder farmers need to see the government make proactive efforts to cushion them from the effects of Climate Change, not just pro-business decisions like supporting the coal industry and the construction of infrastructure projects that destroy the tree cover that is already scarce.
‘’It is crucial for the Kenya government to take concrete action beyond the promises made in international conferences. Kenyans need the government to make deliberate efforts to stem the effects of climate change which compounds the socio-economic and health crises triggered by the COVID19 pandemic’’
According to the world meteorological organisation, Climate Change is set to drive more people into poverty, increase food insecurity and displacement in Africa. Kenya is already facing these threats as adverse weather conditions reduce food production and increase human-wildlife conflict as humans and wildlife compete for scarce natural resources.
ENDS
Media Contacts:
Greenpeace Africa Press Desk: [email protected]
Timothy Nzioka, Communications Consultant, [email protected], +254 722898259
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