Equity and Social Justice Through Devolved Climate Action: Community-led Adaptation in Kenya

Kenya’s counties are already showing what works. Across the country, communities are designing and implementing projects that respond directly to their climate realities, whether it is drought in the arid north, flooding in the west, or erratic rainfall in the central highlands. The results are tangible: improved water access, revived ecosystems, and new income streams that make livelihoods more secure.

Water security has been a defining success. In Olgulului Ward, Kajiado South, dykes and sand dams harvest stormwater, turning flood-prone riverbeds into lush pasturelands and drawing back wildlife. In Ilima Ward, Makueni, a solar-powered sand dam provides clean water to 8,700 residents while nurturing fruit orchards, and in Mukaange, Kibwezi East, a reverse osmosis plant delivers safe water to 1,480 people, enabling kitchen gardens and beekeeping ventures. In Nyeri’s Kieni West, a solar borehole supplies water to 200 households and a local school, while in Sagana, irrigation supports 530 farming families year-round. In Vihiga, solar-powered water systems now deliver clean piped water to more than 15,000 households.

Food systems and livelihoods have also transformed. In Benga Village, Busia County, a 30-acre solar-powered horticulture park supplies vegetables throughout the year, stabilizing household incomes. In Isiolo’s Kinna and Merti, hay and tilapia farming are creating new income streams for pastoralists and women’s groups. Bomet County has embraced aquaculture, with over 1,100 ponds producing 316,000 tilapia fingerlings annually. In Masan, Nandi County, a women-led water project now serves schools, a dispensary, and 150 households. Across Kisumu, desilted rivers in Kolwa East have reclaimed 4,000 acres, while forest restoration in Maragoli Hills has revived springs and created new income opportunities through beekeeping. In Mandera, gabion walls built with indigenous knowledge protect homes and farmland from flooding, while the Border Point One Irrigation Scheme has reclaimed 385 acres of once-abandoned land.

Education and community resilience are also benefiting. At Oloosuyian Primary School in Kajiado Central, a borehole and “smart shamba” feed more than 300 pupils daily and serve as a living classroom for climate adaptation. In Vihiga, a new bridge across the Mutare River has ended perilous crossings for over 10,000 residents, improving access to schools and markets.

These examples show why devolved climate action matters. They are living proof that when resources align with local priorities, resilience grows from the ground up. Yet financing remains the greatest barrier to scaling impact. Globally, less than one percent of climate funds reach Africa, even though the continent contributes the least to global greenhouse gas emissions. Kenya’s counties have demonstrated that even modest investments can yield transformative and lasting resilience, but progress will remain constrained as long as funding continues to flow disproportionately to developed economies.

Equity in climate action is about fairness, not aid. Women, who shoulder much of the responsibility for securing food and water, benefit directly when new systems ease daily burdens. Youth, long constrained by high unemployment, are finding opportunities in aquaculture, renewable energy, and climate-smart agriculture. Pastoralists and fishing communities, often the first to lose livelihoods in drought or flood, see their resilience grow when traditional knowledge is recognized and integrated into formal planning.

Devolution has also shown that governance is as critical as funding. Ward climate committees and participatory planning ensure resources reach the people and priorities they were intended for. This approach strengthens transparency and public trust, qualities that global climate finance mechanisms often struggle to achieve.

The next phase must focus on scale and sustainability. Counties cannot depend on one-off grants or pilot projects to address a worsening climate crisis. Sustainable financing anchored in national budgets, strengthened through private-sector partnerships, and diversified with innovative tools such as green bonds will be essential to expand irrigation, extend clean energy access, and safeguard fragile ecosystems.

Programs such as the Financing Locally-Led Climate Action (FLLoCA) initiative show what can be achieved when counties are fully empowered. With more than KSh 20 billion disbursed through County Climate Change Funds, over 630 projects completed, and another 570 underway, the programme has reached 1.2 million Kenyans and created around 73,000 jobs. These results demonstrate that devolved, community-driven climate finance can deliver measurable impact and accountability. Strengthening and expanding such models will be crucial for sustaining progress and ensuring that fairness, backed by local action, delivers real climate resilience.

The Homa Bay Devolution Conference reaffirmed this truth: Kenya’s locally led model is not just a governance success but a statement of fairness and foresight. In a world where those who contribute least to climate change face the gravest risks, Kenya’s experience offers a lesson worth scaling. When communities lead, lasting resilience follows.

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