Please download the PEI Country fact sheet on Kenya (PDF)


Basic facts of the PEI in Kenya

• The PEI Kenya project document was signed in August 2005.The programme of work was prepared jointly by the Government of Kenya (GoK), UNDP-Kenya, DFID and UNEP.
• Executed by the GoK through national partner institutions, led by the Ministry of Planning and National Development (MPND).
• The main institutions involved are: the Ministry of Planning and National Development (MPND), the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (MENR), and the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA).
• Donors: DFID, Government of Luxembourg, Government of Norway (through UNEP) and UNDP-Kenya. All funds are distributed through UNDP-Kenya.
• The programme implementation is supported by a PEI Secretariat comprising of a national project manager, an adviser, an MPND seconded programme officer and a UNEP staff member (part-time).
• Approximately $2.2 million are committed to the project until 2008.

The context of mainstreaming environment in Kenya

• The Government of Kenya recognizes the importance of the environment in achieving its economic recovery and poverty reduction goals.  The Economic Recovery Strategy for Wealth and Employment Creation 2003-2007 (ERS) states that “economic recovery needs to be sustainable if the objectives of poverty reduction and wealth creation are to be achieved”. 
• Furthermore, the 9th National Development Plan (2002-2008) states that “the full integration of environmental concerns in development planning at all levels of decision making remains a challenge to the country”.  It further acknowledges, “in view of the high incidence of poverty in the country, the need to integrate environmental concerns in development activities should be given high priority”.
• The Environment Management Coordination Act (EMCA) Bill was enacted by the Parliament in 1999. In 2007, the Government launched a process of formulating an over-arching Environment Policy based on the Environment and Development Sessional Paper (1999). This serves as an opportunity to further give guidance on the mainstreaming of environment into development planning and budget processes. 
• Current national and district planning frameworks are coming to the end of their term (e.g. ERS in 2007 and National Development Plans/District Development Plans in 2008) and reflection on achievements is being undertaken to influence the re-planning process (e.g. ERS II post 2007).  

Main activities of PEI-Kenya

• Improving the understanding of poverty and environment linkages through investigative studies at district level and undertaking economic assessment of Kenya’s natural resources focusing on key sectors supporting the national economic and poverty reduction.
• Strengthening Government capacity to deliver pro-poor environment policy through support towards the Environment Policy formulation process.
• Supporting the development of District Environmental Action Plans (DEAPs) in nine districts, including improving stakeholder participation in the DEAP formulation process and strengthening linkages with district development planning and monitoring processes.
• Developing tools for integration of environment into national budget, e.g. through Medium-Term Expenditure Framework and other sector Public Expenditure Review processes

What has been achieved to date?

• Improved knowledge base and understanding on poverty and environment linkages
  Background studies on improving understanding of poverty and environment linkages at district and national levels were completed and served to inform district environmental action planning and the Briefing Note titled “Making the Connection: Economic Growth, Poverty and the Environment”. As an indication of improved understanding of the role of environment in economic growth and poverty reduction, PEI’s contribution was sought in the Vision 2030 process.

• Improved elaboration of District Environment Action Plans (DEAP)
  Three District Environment Action Plans (Bondo, Murang’a North and Meru South Districts) were completed with inputs from the PEI. The DEAP processes have served to raise the profile of environmental services and natural resource management in district planning processes, and the need for multi-sectoral planning. Draft Guidelines for Mainstreaming Environment in the Development Planning process were prepared drawing lessons from the DEAP process.

• Development of an environment policy for Kenya underway
  PEI supported the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (MENR) to elaborate a “Road Map” to prepare an Environment Policy. The Road Map was endorsed by the National Environment Council and the policy process was launched in August 2007.

• Cross-fertilisation between PEI-Kenya and PEI-Tanzania
  As part of the South-South cooperation that the Global PEI aims to facilitate, the Kenyan PEI team visited Tanzania in September 2006 to learn from the Tanzanian experience of mainstreaming environment. The key elements in the Tanzanian success in mainstreaming environment were identified and a list of follow-up actions for Kenya were agreed on.

• Improved Donor Coordination
  Clarity between donors on relationships and coordination modalities between technical assistance programmes working with MPND, MENR, NEMA and other institutions under the EMCA has been achieved in accordance with the Paris Declaration. PEI played a central role in achieving this, including facilitating a donor harmonisation workshop on the request of MENR. Through their respective advisers, PEI and the Danida/Sida Environment Sector Support Programme are working closely together, demonstrating how two programmes can complement each other and achieve real synergies.

Lessons learned

• It is important to demonstrate the links between poverty and environment at the national and local levels in language familiar to planners and policymakers.
• Restrained Government capacity needs to be planned for carefully when assisting in moving mainstreaming processes forward whilst ensuring full Government leadership and ownership of the process.
• Given limited financial and time resources, there is a need to have a clear programme focus and clearly prioritise activities. Linking to an ongoing policy and planning processes such as the elaboration of a policy is helpful in providing such a focus.

Key documents for PEI Kenya

• Making the connection: Economic Growth, Poverty and the Environment, PEI Kenya, 2007
• Developing A National Environnment Policy for Kenya, Government of Kenya, 2007
• Nature's Benefits in Kenya: An Atlas of Ecosystems and Human Well-Being, WRI, 2007
• Selected documents form the United Nations

Way forward

• Sustained support to environmental mainstreaming, including creating links with the Public Service Reform programme and its mainstreaming agenda.
• Support harmonization between UNEP and UNDP procedures, in line with UN reform processes, to improve collaboration and project delivery.