Kenya is gearing up for the UN climate summit in Türkiye, but its greatest challenge lies in ensuring that climate financing reaches vulnerable communities and delivers tangible results. For Halima Sharif Abdul Kadir, a woman living with a disability from Kajiado County, climate change is a harsh reality measured in lost livestock, scarce water, and the struggle to put food on the table. As a member of the Nasaru Women’s Group, an indigenous, grassroots, women-led community-based organisation, she highlights the disproportionate impact of drought on women and girls with disabilities in pastoral communities.
Halima’s experience raises critical questions about the accountability of climate finance allocated to vulnerable communities. Ahead of COP31, civil society representatives called for stronger accountability, easier access to funding, and closer scrutiny of how climate resources are used. Faith Ngige, national coordinator of the Kenya Platform for Climate Governance, emphasises that global commitments must translate into government action, finding expression in national policies, strategies, plans, and budgets. However, allocating money is only the first step; authorities must also demonstrate how it is spent and which communities benefit.
Kenya’s Financing Locally-Led Climate Action (FLLoCA) programme aims to support climate resilience through county governments and community-led priorities. The programme’s framework includes performance assessments and measures to strengthen planning, implementation, and accountability. Nevertheless, the existence of oversight systems does not guarantee that every project reaches its intended beneficiaries. Letting of Transparency International Kenya identifies a double challenge: inadequate climate finance and concerns about transparency, integrity, and access.
According to Letting, demand for climate finance is high, while governance challenges can further complicate access. He raises questions about the timeliness of fund releases, transparency in procurement decisions, and independent verification of completed projects. These concerns relate to public accountability, not simply administrative procedure. When climate projects fail or adaptation funding is delayed, households remain exposed to drought, flooding, and food insecurity.
Ijait Aluku from Haki Jamii notes that bureaucracy and limited technical capacity can prevent community-led organisations from navigating climate-finance systems. He advocates for better coordination among government, development partners, and civil society, alongside stronger inclusion of communities in decisions affecting their livelihoods. For Halima, the challenge is whether programmes designed to support local climate action are making a meaningful difference, citing that there are climate-financed projects in her county but they are not impactful.
To address these concerns, county governments need to publish clear information on climate budgets, procurement, project progress, and expenditure. Oversight bodies should investigate complaints and follow up on audit findings, while residents should have accessible ways to question decisions and influence priorities. Letting argues that Kenya should push for predictable, grant-based international climate finance while strengthening domestic allocations to reduce reliance on loans.
Ultimately, funding alone will not guarantee results; transparency must extend from the negotiating table to the village, with communities able to see what was promised, what was spent, and what changed. Halima also wants women, young people, and persons with disabilities involved in decisions, emphasising that they need to be at the table when negotiating. As Kenya heads to COP31, implementation must mean more than announcing commitments; it must mean traceable spending, measurable results, and consequences when public promises are not delivered.
Key points
- Ensuring accountability and transparency in climate financing for vulnerable communities is crucial for effective implementation.
- Kenya’s climate finance programme, FLLoCA, includes measures to strengthen planning, implementation, and accountability.
- Civil society representatives call for stronger accountability, easier access to funding, and closer scrutiny of how climate resources are used.
