Climate change now a national and regional security priority - PS Omollo

Internal Security and National Administration Principal Secretary, Dr. Raymond Omollo, is in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, attending the 2nd Africa Climate Summit (ACS2).

The PS is hosting a side event themed “Climate Change as a National and Regional Security Priority.” He will present Kenya’s bold contribution through the Chiefs’ Network, which is mobilizing households and communities in tree growing, embedding climate resilience in national security planning, and aligning grassroots action with the country’s 15 billion tree target by 2032.

“Climate change is no longer just an environmental issue — it is a national and regional security priority,” Dr. Omollo said on the sidelines of the summit.

Through the Chiefs’ Network, Kenya has made significant progress toward President William Ruto’s ambitious 15 billion tree initiative. Government figures show that more than 500 million seedlings have been planted since 2022.

Community-driven tree nurseries are providing livelihoods, particularly for youth in urban areas such as Nairobi, while counties are integrating climate-smart forestry programs to boost resilience at the grassroots.

Climate change has emerged as both a development and security threat. Severe droughts have left millions food insecure, especially in the North Eastern region. Rising temperatures have fueled resource-based conflicts, while flash floods and erratic rainfall continue to disrupt lives, destroy infrastructure, and cause major losses.

According to the National Drought Management Authority (NDMA), the 2022–2023 drought was the worst in four decades. It affected over 4.5 million Kenyans, decimated livestock herds, and stretched humanitarian response systems to the limit.