Climate Change

Madaraka Day: Ruto pushes for climate-smart technologies to fight climate crisis

President William Ruto addresses guests attending the 61st Madaraka Day fete at the Masinde Muliro Stadium in Bungoma County on June 1, 2024. (Photo: PCS)

By Barack Oduor | Saturday, June 1, 2024

The president, named by Time Magazine in 2023 as one of the world's 100 most influential leaders shaping global climate, said it is now clear that climate change presents serious challenges to food security and economic recovery.

President William Ruto has decried the adverse effects of climate change that have been ravaging the country, the latest being the March-May rains and flash floods that left nearly 300 people dead and caused mass property damage and displacement.

Ruto addressed the matter at the Masinde Muliro Stadium in Bungoma County on Saturday, while leading the nation in marking the 61st Madaraka Day, an event that at least 10,000 people attended.

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The president, named by Time Magazine in 2023 as one of the world's 100 most influential leaders shaping global climate, said it is now clear that climate change presents serious challenges to food security and economic recovery.

"The flooding, mudslides, and landslides that the country has experienced in the past six months may have slowed us a little. However, the effects of global warming have not killed our resolve to become food secure and grow economically," he said.

He promised that the government would continue to champion afforestation and the restoration of degraded landscapes and mobilise Kenyans to plant trees throughout the republic to restore the environment and biodiversity.

"We encourage increased use of climate-smart technologies such as mobile grain dryers, mobile soil assessment laboratories, and irrigation.," he said.

In his resolve to lead the fight against the effects of climate change, Ruto said the country had made progress in its bid to build 100 big dams and 1,000 small ones in different parts of the country, to facilitate sustainable water use and increase irrigated land—to reach 500,000 acres by 2026.

He said the government, the African Development Bank (AfDB), and other multilateral institutions were holding discussions on how to implement this programme.

"To control livestock diseases and pests, the Kenya Veterinary Vaccines Production Institute (KEVEVAPI) produced 35 million doses of assorted livestock vaccines in 2023," he added.

Ruto further announced that his administration had invested more than Sh2.2 billion in the promotion and financing of agribusiness entrepreneurship and supported initiatives such as incubation and project management.

Ruto has been urging the international community to form a huge coalition for collective climate action. A various forums around the world, he has expressed concerns over the escalating adverse impacts of climate change, which pose significant threats to humanity.

Despite increased awareness and efforts, global greenhouse gas emissions are still on the rise, he has said in his efforts to facilitate positive change.