STRATEGIC GUIDING FRAMEWORK FOR GREENING KENYA LAUNCHED

By Pili Chimerah 

The National Council on the Administration of Justice (NCAJ) has launched a Strategic Guiding Framework for Greening Kenya aimed at mitigating the effects of climate change while increasing forest cover. 

Speaking during the launch of the framework, Chief Justice Martha Koome committed to advocate for environmental sustainability in the Kenyan justice sector through upholding the rule of law, protecting rights, ensuring sustainable development and promoting ecological sustainability that will create a green and carbon-free environment.

“All the agencies and stakeholders in the justice sector are coming together to embark on the transformative agenda of greening Kenya's justice system,” she said. 

The CJ said the quest for justice is intertwined and inseparable from environmental sustainability and the justice sector should lead by example and be the pacesetter to be emulated by other sectors.    

“Through this Strategic Guiding Framework, we are affirming our renewed commitment towards integrating environmental sustainability into the functioning of our justice institutions”, said CJ Koome.

Present was Environment, Climate Change and Forestry Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale who commended the Kenya Prisons Service for being at the forefront in creating green ecosystems and taking a lead role as climate change ambassadors. 

"In support of the president's tree planting program, Kenya Prisons Service working with the Ministry of Environment and Forestry and climate change has committed to provide 2.1 million tree seedlings for planting,” he said.

He said 7000 inmates had already been trained on environment conservation by June 2024 while 95% of staff were trained on the greening reintegration program.

In her presentation, State Department for Correctional Services Principal Secretary Dr Salome M-Beacco said the State Department aims to increase the acreage of orchards by planting fruit, exotic and indigenous trees across all its Prisons land.

“I would like to remind all of us that the trees we continue to plant will be the shade and shelter of the next generations. We need to move from planting trees to growing trees,” she told the forum. 

The PS said that to help achieve its targets of planting trees, officers in charge of the different correctional institutions across the country have taken the initiative to plant trees while setting their station targets. 

She said the State Department has embraced the use of LPG as a cooking solution to aid in reducing the use of firewood while also saving trees.

The Strategic Guiding Framework launched on Wednesday calls for agencies within the justice system to integrate green practices into their core and operational functions.

 It also requires justice actors to implement reforms and interventions to enhance the administration and access to justice for vulnerable and marginalized persons, particularly those disproportionately affected by climate change such as children, women, survivors of gender-based violence and youth.