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Three out of four women, youth, and persons with disabilities in Kenya cannot access millions of shillings flowing through the government’s flagship climate funding programme, despite being the groups most vulnerable to climate change impacts, a new study reveals.
The findings expose critical gaps in Kenya’s Financing Locally-Led Climate Action (FLLoCA) programme, which channels more than Sh39.3 billion in climate finance directly to counties and communities to build resilience against floods, droughts, and rising temperatures that threaten millions of livelihoods.
According to the study, the country “faced heightened climate variability in 2024, characterised by unprecedented temperature extremes, erratic rainfall patterns, and a marked increase in the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events.
These climate stresses severely undermined critical socio-economic sectors, notably agriculture, water resources, and public health, with cascading repercussions for food security, economic stability, and community livelihoods.” Despite Kenya contributing less than 0.1 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions, these severe climate impacts have displaced thousands and driven food insecurity to crisis levels, affecting more than two million people.
The study, conducted by the Kenya Platform for Climate Governance (KPCG), Pan African Climate Justice Alliance (PACJA), and County Governance Watch across 24 counties, found that 44 per cent of Kenyans have never heard of the FLLoCA programme, while 42 per cent know of its existence and 14 per cent remain unsure.
“While a solid awareness foundation exists, many communities remain outside the information loop,” said Faith Ngige, KPCG National Coordinator and study co-author. “This balanced split suggests outreach efforts have made significant inroads but points to opportunities for broader reach through targeted, inclusive communication strategies.” The study notes that “without consistent and accessible communication, participation becomes fragmented, undermining the principle of informed and empowered local actors.”
What is FLLoCA?
Launched in 2020, FLLoCA represents Kenya’s first transformative national framework for delivering climate action at the local level, grounded in multilevel governance and devolution. The program channels climate finance directly to county governments. It devolves decision-making to communities, aiming to enhance climate resilience through a unique hybrid model combining investment project financing and performance-for-results components. The programme operates through six interconnected components: policy and legal frameworks, capacity building, climate finance, community-led actions, technology and innovation, and monitoring and verification systems.
To date, over 699 wards have benefited from climate resilience projects, with more than 150 adaptation projects implemented across 31 counties covering water, agriculture, conservation, and energy sectors. The study reveals significant institutional achievements. All 47 counties have enacted Climate Change Acts with operational County Climate Change Units (CCCUs). In comparison, 33 counties have adopted climate policies with dedicated funding.
However, 75 per cent of respondents reported that women, youth, and persons with disabilities had not accessed FLLoCA funding, with barriers including lack of information, weak representation in planning committees, and structural exclusion from decision-making processes.
“Groups most excluded from climate decision-making are youth at 33 per cent, persons with disabilities at 28 per cent, women at 22 per cent, and the elderly at five per cent,” Ngige explained. The exclusion is particularly concerning given Kenya’s constitutional commitment to public participation and the program’s design around Locally Led Adaptation principles that emphasise community ownership and inclusive governance. The study warns that “without clear targeting mechanisms, accessible application processes, and responsive implementation models, FLLoCA risks failing to meet the needs of groups who are most exposed to climate risks but least resourced to adapt.”
Community satisfaction
Community satisfaction shows promise but reveals room for improvement: 50.2 per cent of respondents expressed satisfaction with their FLLoCA engagement, 32per cent remained neutral, and 17 per cent expressed dissatisfaction. On delivery performance, communities rated outcomes as Excellent (20), Good (39), and Fair (25), meaning nearly 59 per cent rated delivery positively. Visible benefits include establishment of climate governance structures, improved water access, climate-smart agriculture projects, and ecosystem restoration.
However, implementation challenges persist. For instance, 39 per cent of respondents felt climate activities were not carried out as planned due to bureaucratic delays and funding bottlenecks, while 36 per cent cited weak community participation conflicting with locally-led adaptation principles. A major concern identified is the limited awareness of grievance redress mechanisms. Only 27 per cent of citizens reported being aware of the different entry points for grievances or the specific mandate of each tier in the multi-layered system spanning project management committees, ward committees, and county desks.
“Low awareness of the process flow and scope of authority within the grievance redress mechanism reduces accessibility and risks underutilisation, especially by rural and marginalised groups,” Ngige noted. Despite challenges, 56 per cent of respondents believe projects implemented under FLLoCA in their communities were community-initiated, reflecting moderate local ownership. Tree planting emerged as the most frequently mentioned community-led activity, including afforestation, reforestation, and tree nurseries. Other initiatives included water access interventions, sustainable agriculture, renewable energy solutions, and wetland rehabilitation. The study emphasises that “when empowered, communities are capable of designing and implementing impactful climate adaptation solutions.”
The findings have prompted strong responses from key stakeholders committed to addressing identified gaps. “This study reinforces the urgent need for stronger laws, better oversight, and increased climate financing that is responsive to county realities,” said Homabay Senator Moses Kajwang, noting the Senate Caucus on climate change’s commitment to providing legislative backing. Nominated Senator Catherine Mumma said accountability mechanisms: “The Senate has introduced the Social Risk Management Bill, which seeks to provide a framework for accountability and resilience in our climate response.”
Peter Odhengo, FLLoCA Programme Coordinator, described the study as “a major eye opener,” adding: “We now have the evidence to back calls from communities for stronger, more inclusive, and more accountable climate governance.” Dr. Karega Mutahi, Vice Chair of the Council of Governors, acknowledged that “counties are at the frontline of climate impacts, and FLLoCA has given them a direct tool to respond with speed and relevance. This study underscores the importance of deepening county ownership and ensuring every shilling delivers tangible climate resilience.”
