Nairobi: The Government has officially launched the Integrated Natural Resources Management Programme (INReMP), a Sh34.1 billion (USD 262 million) initiative that will run for eight years to strengthen climate resilience, restore degraded ecosystems, improve food security, and enhance livelihoods for more than two million Kenyans.
According to Kenya News Agency, the programme, jointly funded by the Government of Kenya and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), targets 407,176 households across 10 counties in western Kenya through investments in climate-smart agriculture, natural resource conservation, and sustainable rural development. Prime Cabinet Secretary and Cabinet Secretary for Foreign and Diaspora Affairs Musalia Mudavadi presided over the national launch at the University of Eldoret under the theme, ‘Building Climate Resilient Livelihoods Through Inclusive and Sustainable Development.’
Mudavadi described the programme as a major milestone in the country’s efforts to address climate change while accelerating socio-economic transformation through sustainable management of natural resources. He stated that the initiative would enable counties endowed with rich agricultural potential, biodiversity, and water resources to better respond to the growing challenges of climate change, environmental degradation, food insecurity, and rural poverty.
The Prime Cabinet Secretary was accompanied by Environment, Climate Change and Forestry Cabinet Secretary Dr. Deborah Mlongo Barasa, Agriculture Principal Secretary Dr. Paul Ronoh, Environment Principal Secretary Dr. Eng. Festus Ngeno, Treasury Principal Secretary Dr. Chris Kiptoo, Gender Principal Secretary Anne Wang’ombe, Trade Principal Secretary Regina Ombam, Uasin Gishu Governor Jonathan Bii Chelilim, and other senior national and county government officials.
The programme will be implemented in Elgeyo Marakwet, West Pokot, Trans Nzoia, Uasin Gishu, Nandi, Kakamega, Kericho, Kisumu, Homa Bay, and Migori counties, which continue to experience increasing climate-related shocks affecting agriculture, water resources, and livelihoods. According to Mudavadi, the focus on western Kenya reflects the urgent need to address environmental degradation and strengthen resilience in one of the country’s most productive agricultural regions.
Mudavadi noted that Kenya is richly endowed with forests, wetlands, rivers, fertile agricultural land, and other natural resources that form the backbone of food production, water security, biodiversity conservation, and the rural economy. However, he observed that these resources continue to face mounting pressure from land degradation, deforestation, declining soil fertility, biodiversity loss, and shrinking water catchments, all of which threaten sustainable development.
Mudavadi said INReMP provides a comprehensive response to these challenges by integrating environmental conservation with livelihood improvement and institutional capacity building. The programme is anchored on three strategic pillars: focusing on ecosystem services and climate action, improving sustainable rural livelihoods, and strengthening institutions.
The Prime Cabinet Secretary said the programme’s overall goal is to improve food, nutrition, and income security for rural households while ensuring communities live within sustainable and climate-resilient ecosystems. He added that the initiative seeks to enhance integrated natural resource management while increasing resilience to climate change, particularly among women, youth, persons with disabilities, indigenous communities, and other vulnerable groups.
Mudavadi called for greater investment in capacity building for national and county governments, community institutions, and local organisations to ensure successful implementation of the programme under the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda. He emphasized the importance of partnerships, accountability, and community ownership, stating that the programme’s success would depend on close collaboration between the national government, county governments, development partners, technical experts, and local communities.
He urged county governments to integrate the programme into their development plans, provide effective leadership, and coordinate implementation to maximise impact. The Prime Cabinet Secretary also challenged communities to actively participate in planning, protect investments made under the programme, and strengthen local institutions to ensure long-term sustainability.
Mudavadi expressed confidence that successful implementation would encourage IFAD and other development partners to continue supporting Kenya’s green growth agenda and environmental restoration efforts. He said the initiative aligns with the country’s broader climate action commitments and sustainable development goals by restoring degraded landscapes, protecting water resources, strengthening food systems, and improving livelihoods.
Calling on leaders and residents of the beneficiary counties to fully embrace the programme, Mudavadi said it provides an opportunity to transform rural economies while safeguarding natural resources for future generations.
