TEAMEnvironmentKENYA

Sustainable finance is a critical enabler of Kenya's Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA), ensuring that economic growth, job creation and improved livelihoods go hand in hand with environmental sustainability and climate resilience. Today, I was represented by the CEO of @NETFUNDkenya , Mr Samson Toniok, at the Sustainable Finance Summit 2026, held at the Radisson Blu Hotel, Upperhill, Nairobi, where he delivered my opening remarks during the launch of the Banking Industry Sustainable Finance Roadmap. In my remarks, I underscored the importance of mobilising finance and directing investments towards sustainable economic activities that advance our national development priorities. This includes renewable energy, climate-smart agriculture, sustainable transport, forest restoration, biodiversity conservation and water resource management. These investments are essential to delivering BETA's objectives of transforming agriculture, expanding economic opportunities, creating jobs and improving the livelihoods of Kenyans, while safeguarding the natural resources that sustain our economy. I emphasised the strategic role of the banking industry in integrating climate and environmental considerations into lending and investment decisions. With public resources alone insufficient to meet the scale of our climate and environmental financing needs, mobilising private capital and strengthening partnerships with development finance institutions and other stakeholders is imperative. I appreciate the leadership of the Kenya Bankers Association and its partners in advancing the sustainable finance agenda. I also recognise Mr Paul Russo, Chairperson of @kenyabankers ; Mr Raimond Molenje, CEO @kenyabankers; and Mr Jackson Kiplagat, Chief Executive Officer, @WWF_Kenya, alongside bank chief executives, board members, investors, representatives of Government institutions and development partners for their participation. The Banking Industry Sustainable Finance Roadmap provides an important framework for translating Kenya's climate and environmental commitments into practical financing decisions, bankable projects and measurable development outcomes. Our ambition must be to build an economy that is productive, competitive, climate-resilient and inclusive, where environmental sustainability is not separate from economic transformation but an integral part of it.

Today I met with the Kenyan delegation in Yerevan, Armenia, on the sidelines of #COP17 to review progress in negotiations, address emerging issues and align Kenya’s engagement with national priorities. I called for a coordinated, evidence-based and action-oriented approach to implementing the KMGBF, emphasizing the need for adequate biodiversity financing, effective implementation of Kenya’s NBSAP, ecosystem restoration, and fair benefit-sharing from genetic resources. I also urged the delegation to maintain a unified national position and strengthen collaboration through the Africa Group to secure practical outcomes that protect biodiversity, strengthen climate resilience, and improve livelihoods. #COP17Armenia #KMGBF #NBSAP #BiodiversityAction #TakingActionForNature

I joined His Excellency the President of the Republic Kenya @WilliamsRuto during 2026 National Mazingira Day celebrations in Endebess, Trans Nzoia County, where he reaffirmed his commitment to environmental conservation with the national goal of growing 15 billion trees by 2032. During the celebrations, His Excellency the President distributed cocoa seedlings to farmers, promoting tree growing alongside income-generating opportunities. He also unveiled aerial seeding technology to accelerate forest restoration and launched the Mt. Elgon Integrated Conservation and Livelihood Improvement Programme Strategic Plan 2026–2036, which aims to restore degraded forests, protect vital water resources and improve the livelihoods of communities around Mt. Elgon. As Kenya advances its tree-growing agenda, let us sustain this momentum and embrace environmental conservation as a shared responsibility. @KEFRIHQ @KeForestService @NemaKenya #MazingiraDay2026 #JazaMiti #TunzaIkulipe #15BillionTreesBy2032