By Peter Opiyo

MPs are pushing for compensation from the West for high levels of greenhouse gas emissions that have negatively affected climatic patterns.

Under the umbrella Pan African Parliamentarians Network for Climate Change, the MPs plan to push the idea in the African Parliamentarians Summit on Climate Change to be held in Nairobi next month.

The drive is informed by the argument that Kenya, like other African countries, is not responsible for the gas emissions but bears the consequences of their effect.

MPs Margaret Kamar (Eldoret East), David Koech (Mosop), Rachael Shebesh (Nominated) and Musikari Kombo (Nominated) will lead MPs to lobby for compensation from the West and other Asian countries that emit huge amounts of the gasses.

"We are going to demand compensation as well as reduction in the level of emissions. And this money should not be classified as aid, they would be paying for what they did to us," said Ms Shebesh.

China, India, US and Russia are the biggest emitters of greenhouse gas in the world.

Developing countries want rich nations to cut emissions by at least 40 per cent by 2020.

But developed nations say the target is out of reach at a time when they are trying to stimulate recession-hit economies. The summit that will draw more than 50 MPs from Africa is to come up with a common position ahead of the Copenhagen Climate Change meeting later in the year.

The Copenhagen meeting is expected to focus attention on mitigation of emissions and burden-sharing between developed and developing countries of their effects.

Environment experts also predict that a major decision will be made at the Copenhagen meeting that could replace the Kyoto protocol.

The issue of depletion of the Mau Complex and receding water levels in Lake Victoria are also to prominently feature in the summit.

The event will take place at Unep headquarters, Gigiri, from October 12-15.

Ms Kamar said politicians have a huge role to play to save the world from devastating effects of climate change.

"As representatives of communities that directly bear adverse effects of climate change, parliamentarians face a twin challenge of balancing between existing problems and the emerging stress triggered by climate-related calamities," said Kamar.