Kajiado County is set to benefit from a KSh 159.5 million allocation under the County Climate Resilience Investment Grant (CCRIG), aimed at supporting climate-smart development and restoring degraded ecosystems.
The funding is part of the broader Financing Locally Led Climate Action (FLLoCA) programme and includes a KSh 22 million contribution from the county government.
The announcement was made by the Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Climate Change and Forestry, Dr. Deborah Mlongo Barasa, during an official visit to Kajiado.
Dr. Barasa held a consultative meeting with Deputy Governor Hon. Martin Moshisho and other officials, including Deputy Director for Climate Change Mr. Thomas Lerenten Lelekoitien and Assistant Secretary Ms. Jacinta Nabwile.
Speaking during the visit, Dr. Barasa reaffirmed the government’s commitment to supporting county-level implementation of the National Climate Change Action Plan (NCCAP), a key framework guiding Kenya’s climate action efforts.
“Kajiado County is uniquely positioned to lead in ecosystem restoration. With a tree cover of 10.94% across 239,000 hectares, the county has the potential to significantly expand its green footprint,” said Dr. Barasa. “We fully support your ambitious 10-year goal of growing and nurturing 623 million trees.”
She emphasized the importance of joint efforts between national and county governments in achieving Kenya’s target of planting 15 billion trees by 2032 and restoring 10.6 million hectares of degraded ecosystems. County Climate Change Directors, she added, have already undergone technical training, with plans to expand capacity building to more local leaders.
Kajiado’s rich natural ecosystems—including hills, forests, rivers, wetlands, and grasslands—were identified as strategic assets in advancing climate action, carbon capture, and sustainable development.
Dr. Barasa noted that preserving these ecosystems is essential not only for meeting national reforestation goals but also for securing critical ecological services for communities.
