Tuya hosted big climate summit and planted trees

Former Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Climate Change and Forestry Roselinda Soipan Tuya had made some achievements before the axe fell.

A lawyer by profession, Tuya had only served the Ministry for 21 months.

During her tenure, she ensured that the Climate Change Act, 2016 was amended.

The Climate Change (Amendment) Act, 2023 was to allow for coordination and mobilising stakeholders for effective management of carbon markets, facilitating research on carbon markets, and advising the government on new measures on how to control carbon market activities and regulations are now before Parliament.

It was assented into law by President Ruto ahead of the Africa Climate Summit (ACS) in September last year alongside the annual Africa Climate Week (ACW) at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC) in Nairobi City County.

Tuya played a pivotal role in organising the conferences which resulted in The Nairobi African Leaders Declaration on Climate Change and Call- to-Action, The Nairobi Declaration”

The summit, which was organised by the government, African Union (AU) and was attended by several African Heads of States including United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Ursula von der Leyen, President of European Union(EU).

The summit, also saw Kenya sign various deals, receive pledges and donations amounting to approximately USD 26 billion (Sh3.8 trillion) ) for Africa climate projects investments.

The Ministry fast-tracked approval and disbursement of Sh7.3 billion of investment grants to 45 qualifying counties, under the Financing Locally Lead Climate Action (FLOCCA) Program after helping establish Climate Change Units in all 47 Counties. 

Also, the sixth United Nations General Assembly (UNEA-6) that was held at United Nationals Environment Programme headquarters in Gigiri, from February 26 to March 1, 2024.

Another engagement she was working on is spearheading the achievement of the 15 billion tree cover by 2032. She lobbied for the declaration of November 13 as the National Tree Planting Day.

Tuya had managed to launch the Ministry’s Strategic Plan for the period 2023 to 2027. It aims to focus on pursuing seven Key Result Areas, namely environment, climate change and forestry governance; conservation, protection and management of environment and forestry resources; climate change adaptation and mitigation; agro-forestry and commercial forestry management; resource mobilisation and partnerships.

The issue of waste management, however, remained sticky. The Ministry through the National Environment Management Authority(NEMA) was to establish five pilot Material Recovery Facilities in five pilot counties.

This was to be done in the last financial year that ended on June 30, but which was not possible due to what the Ministry said were financial constraints.