Kenya has secured an additional $30 million (Sh3.9 billion) in climate financing from the World Bank to expand locally led climate action across the country.
The funding will scale up the Financing Locally Led Climate Action (FLLoCA) programme following strong performance by counties and rising demand for community-driven climate resilience projects.
The new financing will support climate investments already transforming communities at the county and ward levels.
So far, the programme has backed more than 2,200 locally identified resilience projects across sectors such as water access, climate-smart agriculture, landscape restoration, renewable energy and livelihood diversification.
These investments, currently underway in 1,238 wards, are expected to benefit over one million Kenyans by improving access to clean water and boosting agricultural productivity. They also support sustainable land management, environmental restoration and climate-resilient livelihoods.
Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi said the programme highlights the impact of empowering local communities to drive climate solutions.
“FLLoCA is showing that when counties and communities are empowered with the right resources and institutions, they can deliver practical solutions that strengthen livelihoods while addressing climate risks,” he said.
“The progress we are witnessing across the country confirms that locally led climate action works. This additional financing will allow us to scale these efforts and reach even more communities.”
FLLoCA is Kenya’s flagship programme for channeling climate finance directly to counties, enabling local governments and communities to design solutions tailored to their specific climate risks.
Principal Secretary for the National Treasury Dr Chris Kiptoo said the model is drawing global attention as an innovative approach to climate financing.
“Kenya has built one of Africa’s most promising locally led climate finance models. By channelling resources directly to counties and communities, FLLoCA is strengthening resilience while ensuring climate investments deliver tangible benefits on the ground,” he said.
Under the programme, all 47 counties have enacted Climate Change Fund laws, creating sustainable frameworks for financing climate action at the local level.
The laws require counties to allocate at least 1.5 per cent of their development budgets to climate resilience projects, ensuring continuity beyond the programme.
County performance has also exceeded expectations, with the average Annual Performance Assessment score standing at 87 per cent, well above the 70 per cent target.
Participation has outpaced initial projections. While 32 counties were initially expected to qualify for the second cycle of County Climate Resilience Investment grants ,later revised to 36, 45 counties qualified in the first cycle and 42 in the second.
This strong uptake has driven higher disbursements. Although initial projections stood at $85 million (Sh11 billion), actual disbursements have already reached $108.75 million (Sh14 billion), underscoring both the demand for and effectiveness of county-led climate action.
