Thrust into the rumble and tumble of global negotiations, the Kenyan delegation in Azerbaijan is carrying not just the country’s hopes and aspirations, but also those of the continent. However, as Bernard Mwinzi reports, while this team has scored a few wins already, the long journey to freedom and change has just started.
At the heart of COP29 in Baku, a fierce battle is unfolding over climate finance, and Kenya has emerged as one of the most forceful voices advocating for the needs of developing nations, particularly in Africa.
The Group of 77 (G77) and China, representing more than 130 countries, this week took a stand against the latest draft of the New Collective Quantified Goal (NCQG) on climate finance, signaling a critical impasse in global climate negotiations.
Kenya, a key player in the G77, was at the forefront of this rejection, demanding a more robust and equitable financial framework to tackle the climate crisis.
The NCQG is central to the negotiations, aiming to replace the outdated $100 billion annual climate finance target set in 2009.
However, the draft presented at COP29 earlier in the week sparked fierce backlash from developing nations, who argued that the proposal did not address their pressing financial needs.
Kenya, alongside its African counterparts, was vocal and categorical in its criticism, insisting on a target of at least $1.3 trillion in annual climate finance to meet the urgent demands of adaptation, mitigation, and loss and damage support.
For these nations, the NCQG is not just a financial figure - it is a lifeline to ensure survival in the face of worsening climate impacts.
Late evening on Friday, delegates at the Baku summit were awaiting the release of the updated text on the finance goal.
Journalists were blocked from attending several high-level meetings, and there were concerns that, when the text eventually “drops”, which is the lingo here for publishing, it would not present a major departure from an earlier one.
Ali Mohamed, Kenya’ Special Envoy for Climate Change and Chair of the African Group of Negotiators (AGN), had expressed the frustration felt across Africa in a short media briefing on Wednesday morning, saying that, “for the African continent, adaptation is not a choice; it’s survival”.
At the heart of the frustration within the AGN and the continent, generally, is the belief that the draft earlier this week attempted to shift financial responsibilities away from wealthier nations, contradicting the principles of the Paris Agreement.
This issue, particularly over adaptation finance, has been a sticking point for the African delegation in Baku, which feels that their region is bearing the brunt of the climate crisis without receiving the necessary support.
This morning, the Star learnt that the friction behind closed doors at COP29 is indicative of deeper tensions over the structure of climate finance.
While developed nations advocate for diversified funding models, including public and private investments, developing countries argue that this approach does not account for the historical emissions of wealthier nations.
The principle of “historical responsibility” remains central to their demands. Simply translated, it urges that those who have contributed most to global warming should bear the greatest burden of financing.
The African delegation is therefore arguing that the call for an increased financial target is not only an economic issue, but a matter of survival for many developing countries.
As global temperatures rise and the frequency of extreme weather events increases, the financial burden of climate adaptation and disaster recovery is becoming unsustainable.
For Kenya and her neighbours, the impacts of climate change are felt daily in the form of unpredictable weather patterns, prolonged droughts and flooding.
These, Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi said in his address during a plenary session, have disrupted agriculture, damaged infrastructure and put millions at risk.
Kenya’s position on the draft NCQG highlights the fundamental principle of climate justice, and Mudavadi and Mohamed’s remarks resonate deeply with the broader African position, where climate change is increasingly seen as a matter of survival, not just an environmental or economic concern.
African nations, in particular, are on the front line of the climate crisis, experiencing extreme heatwaves, droughts, desertification and rising sea levels that threaten agriculture, freshwater resources and entire populations.
For Kenya, the immediate concern is the availability of adequate financial resources to address the impacts of climate change.
The country has already been dealing with extreme droughts and flooding, which have displaced millions and decimated crops, exacerbating food insecurity.
Mudavadi, who is leading the Kenyan delegation at COP29, emphasised that climate finance should prioritise adaptation funding and ensure that vulnerable countries can recover and rebuild in the face of increasingly severe climate events.
For these leaders, the message in Baku is simple and clear: in Kenya, climate change is no longer a distant threat, it is here and it is destroying lives.
Another critical issue dominating the discussions at COP29 is the creation of a dedicated fund for loss and damage - funding for those impacts of climate change that cannot be avoided or adapted to.
While the loss and damage agenda was officially recognised in the COP28 agreement in Dubai last year, many developing countries, including Kenya, argue that the funding for this initiative remains woefully inadequate.
Mudavadi called for a more substantial and reliable financial mechanism to support loss and damage, stressing that this was not just a matter of funding; it was about accountability and ensuring that the wealthiest nations contribute their fair share.
He noted that the developed world must recognise its historical responsibility for the emissions that have caused the climate crisis, and “it must contribute meaningfully to the loss and damage fund”.
In Kenya, the effects of climate-induced loss and damage are already being felt, with communities facing the destruction of homes, infrastructure and livelihoods due to increasingly frequent natural disasters.
President William Ruto’s government has been vocal in advocating for a more robust and accessible loss and damage fund, one that can provide immediate financial relief in the aftermath of disasters like floods and droughts.
As the G77 continues to demand a meaningful increase in climate finance, the debate also touches on the role of developed nations in contributing to the global climate fund.
Critics argue that the current financial systems, which rely heavily on private sector investments and market-driven solutions, are insufficient and prone to delays.
Developing countries, including Kenya, argue that financial contributions must come from public funding, particularly given the scale and urgency of the climate crisis.
The Kenyan government has made it clear that its priority at COP29 is to secure not just more funding, but a commitment to the principles of climate justice.
For many nations in the Global South, the question is not whether financial support will come, but whether it will be sufficient to meet the scale of the crisis.
The discussion around climate finance at COP29 is thus not just about numbers - it is about ensuring that developed countries take responsibility for their role in the climate crisis.
For Kenya, Baku is a crucial moment to demand that the international community deliver on its promises and address the financial gap that continues to hinder meaningful action on climate change.
The talks, however, have not been without criticism.
On Friday morning a group of prominent climate leaders and experts called for immediate reform of the COP to ensure global climate negotiations lead to meaningful, urgent action.
In an open letter addressed to all parties of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), UN Secretary General António Guterres, and Simon Stiell, the executive secretary of the UNFCCC Secretariat, the signatories urged for a shift from negotiation to implementation.
The letter, signed by high-profile figures like former Ireland president Mary Robinson, former executive secretary of the UNFCCC Christiana Figueres, and former Secretary General of the United Nations, Ban Ki-moon, called attention to the fact that while COP28 in Dubai last year and earlier such meetings made significant strides in setting global climate goals, the efforts have not been enough to reverse the trajectory of rising global emissions.
The signatories acknowledged the achievements made, such as the Paris Agreement’s 1.5°C goal, the establishment of the Loss and Damage Fund, and agreements to phase out fossil fuels and reduce methane emissions.
Yet, they emphasised that these commitments have not been matched by sufficient action and accountability. As emissions continue to rise and planetary boundaries are breached, the letter stresses the need for a systemic overhaul of the COP process to facilitate swift and comprehensive climate action.
And so, as the first week of the talks comes to an end, there is growing concern among African countries that COP29 could become just another talk shop - a conference full of promises but ultimately lacking in substantial action.
The frustration is compounded by the historical failure of many previous COPs to deliver on key commitments, particularly in relation to financial support and climate justice for developing countries.
Some of the African negotiators in Baku have expressed disappointment at the slow pace of change, and for many of the experts from the global community, the outcome of COP29 will be a test of whether the international community is genuinely committed to addressing climate change in a way that is equitable and supportive of those who are most affected.