Empowering Kenyan Counties to Unlock Climate Finance: A Capacity Building Approach  

The ability to undertake inclusive and participatory investment planning to access climate finance for climate risk management and build resilience is weak. Thus, limiting the alignment of policies, identification of the main climate risks that threaten the agricultural sector, and capacity building of stakeholders to advance climate-smart agriculture investment planning initiatives.

The Accelerating Impacts of CGIAR Climate Research in Africa (AICCRA) project through the Alliance of Bioversity of International and CIAT organized county capacity-building training workshops – in Makueni County on 1st-3rd August, at Kilimani Breeze Hotel and in Siaya and Taita Taveta counties on 21st –23rd August 2023 at the Siaya County club and Panlis Resort, respectively. The training sessions focused on guiding participants to understand better the prioritization process for bankable investments in line with the Climate Smart Agriculture Investment Plan (CSAIP). Additionally, the session raised awareness and sensitivity to the Financing Locally Led Climate Action (FLLoCA) program and its requirements for accessing climate funds. This, in turn, will enhance the capacity to respond effectively to climate change challenges in the counties.

The objectives of the workshop included.

facilitating the participants to identify the primary climate risks affecting the agriculture sector and the prerequisites of climate risk management interventions.

strengthening the county stakeholder knowledge and skills required for inclusive and participatory investment planning.

enhancing the skills of county stakeholders in the development of bankable climate investment proposals to access climate finance.

sensitize the county stakeholders on the need to align county and community strategies and initiatives to the global and national climate change policy and legal frameworks.

The Alliance facilitated the capacity-building workshops with CSA-MSP led by Veronica Ndetu, Head of Climate Change Unit (CCU) – Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development (MOALD). The workshop included participants from diverse backgrounds and departments such as; academia, Civil Society Organisations (CSO), the Kenya Meteorological Department (KMD), private stakeholders, and other state departments. The training workshop incorporated a series of interactive presentations, plenary sessions, group workings, and discussions for the delivery of training modules and working group activities to the participants.