Nairobi:Kenya has officially launched the Kenya Overview Assessment of Environmental and Social Risk Management Systems. This initiative is aimed at enhancing environmental and social security to support sustainable development.
According to Kenya News Agency, the launch was attended by Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Climate Change and Forestry, Dr. Deborah Barasa. She emphasized that the initiative provides an opportunity to evaluate how Kenya plans, regulates, and implements development projects while ensuring the protection of people, natural resources, and the environment. This aligns with the Bottom-up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA).
Dr. Barasa highlighted Kenya’s ambitious development goals in sectors such as infrastructure, energy, agriculture, water, housing, and manufacturing. She stressed that true development should be environmentally sustainable, socially inclusive, and beneficial to communities, rather than merely focusing on physical structures or financial investments.
The assessment indicates that Kenya has a robust constitutional, legislative, and institutional framework, including environmental laws and impact assessment processes. However, Dr. Barasa pointed out that the real challenge lies in effective implementation. She called for a move from fragmented institutional efforts to coordinated execution, reinforcing the entire project cycle, and enhancing accountability and measurable performance at the county level.
Furthermore, Dr. Barasa urged county governments, the national government, and private institutions to collaborate and actively involve communities in the project cycle to strengthen coordination and institutional capacity for tangible outcomes. She encouraged stakeholders to transition from policy to practical implementation, ensuring that compliance leads to measurable results.
Kate Wallace, Environmental and Social Policy and Operations Director at the World Bank Group, praised Kenya for establishing strong foundations that bolster implementation for better impact. She affirmed the World Bank Group’s commitment to supporting Kenya in capacity building and project coordination.
The event saw participation from various dignitaries, including the Principal Secretary State Department for Social Protection and Senior Citizen Affairs, representatives from the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA), the Council of Governors, officials from the World Bank Group, the African Development Bank, and other stakeholders involved in government and development partnerships.
