Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Climate Change, and Forestry, Aden Duale, has urged judicial institutions, particularly the judiciary, to collaborate with the Ministry and its agencies, including the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA), in enforcing environmental laws.
Speaking on Wednesday during the launch of the “Greening The Justice System: Framework, Theories, Elements, and Practice Imperatives” Report at a Nairobi hotel, Duale emphasized that the environmental issues plaguing the country stem from inadequate enforcement of existing laws.
“Together, we can build a justice system that not only upholds the rule of law but also protects our environment for the benefit of all Kenyans,” CS Duale said.
At the launch, which was attended by Chief Justice Martha Koome, the Environment Cabinet Secretary assured that the Ministry would collaborate more with justice sector institutions in the enforcement of environmental laws.
“The Ministry of Environment will continue to collaborate with the justice sector to monitor the implementation of the sector’s mitigation and adaptation actions and to coordinate reporting and verification of the corresponding emissions reductions and adaptation benefits towards the national targets in fulfilling Kenya’s international commitments on climate change.
“The Ministry also commits to identifying policy gaps that hinder the attainment of environmental and climate justice, in an effort to bridge these gaps,” CS Duale said.
Correctional Services Principal Secretary Salome Beacco highlighted that the Kenya Prisons Service aims to propagate 2.2 million seedlings annually to contribute to the 15 Billion National Tree Growing Programme. She reaffirmed her department’s commitment to the Kenya Kwanza flagship tree-growing initiative, noting that the 13-acre Ruiru Prisons tree nursery is the largest of its kind in the country.
Other speakers at the event included Director of Criminal Investigations Mohamed Amin, Director of Public Prosecutions Renson Ingonga, and Chief Justice Martha Koome. In her keynote address, Chief Justice Koome assured Kenyans of the judiciary’s dedication to supporting the country’s environmental conservation efforts through the ongoing “Greening Kenya’s Justice System” programme.
