The inconvenient truth about devolution, the environment

It’s one of the most memorable moments of my childhood: drinking water from the river or directly from the tap; it was never treated with chemicals.

I don’t recall anyone being hospitalised. I also don’t recall my dad buying fertiliser during the planting season.

We made organic fertiliser from animal droppings and other organic wastes. And crops flourished; we even reclaimed barren land.

Rain came as predicted, the rivers were crystal clear, and cancer was rare. Climate change or global warming were intellectual discussions, not mainstream. Not anymore.

From former US Vice President Al Gore to the countries, environmental issues are now mainstream. Remember the movie, The Inconvenient Truth? Never mind the pushback from President Donald Trump and some conspiracy theorists.  The 2010 Constitution gave counties a key environmental role, implementing national government policies on natural resources and environmental conservation.

This docket has become a problem child, like health. This was a good decision; environmental issues are closer to the counties than the national government. However, there are challenges. A Kenya Devolution Civil Society Organisations Working Group (KDCWG) study on Devolution @10 notes that while county governments have taken some actions in environmental conservation and natural resource management.

This includes tree planting and policy enactment and resource protection measures; scaling up these efforts is hindered by resource limitations, ineffective governance, political interference, public apathy, and inadequate expertise.

The study also noted that while many county governments have demonstrated proactive efforts by establishing legislative and policy frameworks, allocating resources, improving infrastructure, and engaging the community for climate change and pandemic mitigation and adaptation, their effectiveness varies widely, with most respondents perceiving these efforts as suboptimal and indicating a need for improved implementation, transparency, and community engagement.

Counties have not had the expected impact on the environment. It’s not so surprising. A confluence of issues has made policy shifts on environmental matters sticky. One is private property laws, which are very strong in Kenya.

Environmental issues touch on land, which is very emotive. How do we stop deforestation on private land?

How do you stop citizens from polluting the air and water on public property? It’s not just about the tragedy of the commons but the feeling that the earth has infinite ability to absorb pollution.

The cause and effect of pollution or environmental degradation is not well articulated. We rarely articulate the effect of pollution on our health, wildlife, and plants.

Do counties communicate in layman’s language on the causes and effects without kizungu mingi (flowery English)? 

Science is not popular among high school students; hence, the need to use a language the majority can understand. We must remember most citizens live from hand to mouth; environmental issues are not their priority. Environmental issues suffer from misinformation. Remember Covid-19? Add religion, and most citizens are reluctant to take any corrective measures to mitigate climate change and other environmental issues. 

Our policies and language have alienated the common man, who is yet the most affected by environmental degradation. Population growth puts more pressure on the environment, and counties are helpless against the pushback by religions and traditions. How do you stop population growth with Genesis 1:28?

Environmental degradation is about human activities, from the use of chemicals in farming to deforestation and air and noise pollution.

Needless to say, today, combating environmental issues needs money. You need money to build incinerators, capture carbon, and clean the water and air. Counties have other priorities, like paying salaries.

The fact that environmental issues have no borders complicates matters. Who should be held responsible for the pollution of the Athi River or Ewaso Nyiro, which crosses several counties?

Does the National Environment Management Authority (Nema) have the manpower and technology to monitor pollution across counties, both water and air? What if pollution cuts across borders and generations, affecting the children?

One could easily feel helpless against environmental matters, some of which are global. Where do we go from here?

One easy option is to analyse supply chains and identify the intervention nodes. For instance, where does most environmental damage take place: in steel making, on farms, in factories, or the packaging of meat?

Power generation? Well-mapped-out supply or value chains help monitor and reduce damage to our environment. Are incentives and penalties aligned with taking care of the environment?

We need to start early; right from childhood, we need to know our place and role on this planet and its limits. We must demonstrate cause and effect by using both the carrot and the stick to change our behaviour. Let polluters pay. What do we give to those who don’t pollute?

It’s in environmental matters that counties should work together. Environmental matters have no borders.

We can also borrow from our traditions and religion. They maintained a healthy balance between planet, people, and profit.

In our small ways, guided by the visible hand of the county governments and the invisible hand of the market, we can improve the environment, making planet Earth more homely before exoplanets and space become habitable, hopefully in our lifetime.