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By Bernard Gitau Floods claim 169 lives, displaces 30,000 households in Kenya A total of 169 people have died due to the floods across the country, the government has said. According to the Ministry of Interior and Coordination of National Government, the country has continued to experience a devastating flood calamity occasioned by the heavy rains. “A total of 169 lives have been lost due to the floods. Notably, the mudslide in Mai Mahiu claimed 46 lives; Garissa reported 4 lives lost while Sindo, Homay Bay, reported another 4 fatalities,” the Ministry said. Those injured stand at 102 across the country with 91 missing Mai Mahiu accounting for 53 and Garissa has reported 16 missing. The Ministry has also pointed out that Nairobi, Tana River, West Pokot, Homa Bay, Nakuru and Murang’a are the most affected counties in the last 24 hours. “30,099 households have been displaced affecting approximately 150,495 individuals. In Sindo and Homa Bay, a total of 161 households have been displaced,” added the Ministry. The Ministry has added a total of 190,942 individuals have been affected by these natural disasters. With a total of 91 people missing, the government has announced the rescue, search and retrieval operations particularly in Nakuru due to the recent mudslide and have rescued 23 people in Garissa. With roads, bridges and other infrastructure destroyed, the government has termed the loss as unquantifiable.

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), in 2022, at least 783 million people faced hunger, while millions of meals went to waste globally. This stark reality underscores the urgent need to address the issue of food waste

Seaweed farming quickly gained momentum in coastal Kenya, transforming livelihoods and empowering women like Fatuma. Today, over 600 farmers from five coastal communities actively engage in commercial seaweed cultivation, marking a significant shift from traditional fishing practices.

One of LAWA’s primary focuses is environmental justice. In a region grappling with the consequences of climate change and industrial development, LAWA fights to restore balance.

Washington, DC – November 28, 2023 The Bezos Earth Fund is set to take center stage as the primary sponsor for the 2023 Global Student Energy Summit, the world’s largest youth-led energy event. Bringing together over 650 young participants from 150 countries, the summit aims to create a transformative space for collaborative discussions on energy solutions, involving more than 30,000 young individuals. The event will serve as a launchpad for 15 youth-led clean energy start-ups and as a platform for training and supporting 30 COP28 delegates who are youth climate activists and advocates. The Bezos Earth Fund’s announcement of its headline sponsorship for the 2023 Global Student Energy Summit (SES 2023) comes with the theme “Reimagining the Future.” Hosted by New York University Abu Dhabi from November 28th to December 1st, 2023, this historic occasion is strategically aligned with COP28, providing a platform for young people from diverse backgrounds to collaborate with industry leaders and energy experts in driving a just and equitable clean energy future. SES stands as the world’s largest youth-led energy event, prioritizing equal gender representation and diverse perspectives, with 40% of attendees participating in their first international conference. Leading up to SES 2023, the summit engages over 30,000 young individuals through virtual and in-person capacity-building and digital engagement sessions. Andrew Steer, President and CEO of the Bezos Earth Fund, expressed excitement about this groundbreaking partnership, stating, “Since its establishment in 2009, Student Energy has evolved into the world’s largest youth-led organization dedicated to energy, empowering a network of 50,000 young people across 120 countries to accelerate the transition to a sustainable and equitable energy future. Our support for SES 2023 seamlessly aligns with the Bezos Earth Fund’s mission to foster innovation, collaboration, and action in the clean energy realm. The youth-led initiatives and start-ups emerging from this summit play a pivotal role in driving systemic change, and we take pride in being part of this movement.” As the future leaders of the energy sector, young participants face both a challenge and a unique opportunity. According to the International Energy Agency’s Net-Zero Emissions Scenario, over 30 million jobs in low-carbon technologies will be created by 2030. However, the Energy Transition Skills Report, conducted by Student Energy in partnership with Ørsted, reveals that 47.6% of the survey’s 2,000 youth respondents lack awareness of existing job opportunities. With over half of the global population under 30, young people require training to bridge labor shortfalls, promote economic development, ensure social welfare, and support climate resilience in vulnerable communities. The summit serves as a catalyst for action and entrepreneurship, offering support to 15 youth-led clean energy start-ups in priority regions through training and seed funding. Lydia Sanz Lozano, Co-Vice Chair of Programming for SES, emphasized, “SES23 is a platform to not only connect us with each other but also to sit at the table with representatives of governments, companies, and institutions during these three days. It fosters a lifelong connection to join forces and increase global efforts to accelerate the adoption of renewable energy.” In addition, SES 2023 serves as a launchpad for youth climate activists and advocates, training and supporting delegates to join a COP28 delegation that amplifies key messages from SES 2023 through partner-driven events. SES is making its debut in the Middle East, highlighting the vision of the UAE’s energy transition. Nicole Iseppi, Managing Director of Global Energy Innovation at the Bezos Earth Fund, remarked, “Leveraging the strategic location and timing of SES, we will support up to 40 SES delegates to attend COP28. Our partnership provides students with the opportunity to engage in UN proceedings and enrich the conversations at the highest level of climate change negotiations. We have a responsibility to support young innovators and elevate their voices on the global stage. SES 2023 is not just a summit; it’s a platform for tangible change, and we are excited to be a part of it.”

By Bernard Gitau Approximately one-third of the county’s food goes to waste, primarily due to its appearance. For many, discarded food is synonymous with spoiled ugali, expired flour, or uneaten githeri. However, Dr. Mary Mwale, a Food Security and Nutrition specialist at the Ministry of Agriculture, sheds light on the extensive process from the farm to the plate or refrigerator. Mwale points out that cosmetically imperfect or “ugly” fruits and vegetables often end up in landfills due to factors such as bad weather or suboptimal growing conditions. Farmers like Caleb Karuga share their experiences, highlighting mistakes in cultivation practices that lead to the production of imperfect crops. These imperfections, such as curved carrots or blemished apples, contribute to significant food loss. Mary Mwale emphasizes that this loss, especially in fruits and vegetables, is a pressing concern for the government, as the country already produces enough to meet consumption needs. However, approximately 30 to 40 percent of the produce is discarded due to perceived deformities. The impact on food security is evident, with millions of Kenyans facing food insecurity, particularly in informal settlements and arid areas. Despite this, the potential solution lies in embracing imperfect fruits and vegetables. According to Wanjiku Njoroge of Planet Patrons, these seemingly flawed produce items offer comparable nourishment to their supermarket counterparts. Imperfect food items, including crooked carrots and non-uniform watermelons, are often rejected based on industrial standards, leading to significant losses for farmers. The lack of a market for these imperfect foods results in wasted harvests, as highlighted by fruit farmer Mary Wanjiru. “In our dialect we call them ‘mathuro’ meaning rejects hence a candidate of dumping,” she said. Beyond the economic impact on farmers, the rejection of imperfect foods exacerbates environmental issues. Not only does the improper disposal of imperfect foods contribute to methane emissions in landfills, but it also adds to climate change and environmental pollution. Daniel Wanjuki, the founder of Ecosave Africa, emphasizes the role of methane in global warming and its detrimental effects on air quality. To address these challenges, Kenyans are urged to reconsider their attitudes toward imperfect foods. Embracing these rejected items not only reduces food waste but also contributes to a more sustainable and environmentally friendly approach to agriculture and consumption. Edited by Neville Ng’ambwa

How The Simple Act of Marking Your Age Can Turn Kenya into a Green Paradise Gabon has dominated news lately due to the coup that toppled former President Ali Bongo. And for me, Gabon should also be in the news for a much better, nay greener reason – its 88 percent forest cover! This makes Gabon one of the most forested countries in the world and proves that Kenya too can realize a forty percent tree cover by 2035.  As we celebrated the annual Plant Your Age Day on 14th September 2023, our team demonstrated how to practically achieve this tree revolution. Our first tool for executing this tree revolution is our demographics. Each of Kenya’s 55.3 million people should be supported and nudged to be a tree warrior who fights tooth and nail for a rapid, sustainable tree cover expansion. Accordingly, just like in Sun Tzu’s Art of War, ‘victorious warriors win first and then go to war, while defeated warriors go to war first and then seek to win.’ In this context, ‘winning’ first means having a revolutionary, winning mindset and strategy. Kenya’s median age is 19.6 years. If every Kenyan pledged to plant an average of 19.6 trees annually, we would end up with 1.08 billion trees annually. In just seven years, this tree revolution would deliver 7.5 billion trees. But for that to happen, all the tree warriors would have to shift their mindset from mere tree planting to tree growing. While tree planting simply places a seedling into the soil and forgets about it, tree growing nurtures that seedling to full maturity. If we embrace this challenge, Kenya will become a green beacon of hope that could trigger a green revolution across Africa! That way, Africa’s own forest cover can eventually grow from the current 22.7% to at least 40%! Our second tool for executing a tree revolution is our private sector. Yes, our businesses, as well as learning institutions, faith-based institutions, and non-profit organizations, can play a lead role in growing trees across Kenya. For instance, Safaricom has a market capitalization of KES 621 billion, which makes it East and Central Africa’s most valuable company. The company has an extensive, active subscriber base of 46 million people. If just half of these subscribers were incentivized to plant trees equivalent to their ages, every year, that would amount to 3.75 billion new trees within just seven years! Safaricom can become a corporate tree warrior through discounted airtime or internet bundles. In the same vein, a bank such as KCB could follow suit by turning its 28.9 million customers into tree warriors. The goal would be for half of these customers to grow trees equivalent to the average Kenyan age of 19.6 years, for seven successive years. This would add 2.37 billion trees to Kenya’s landscape. Here the incentives could include discounted bank charges and corporate social investment programs. Oil marketers too can support this cause, as major stakeholders in the climate change conversation. Vivo Oil for instance could decide that for every two litres of oil imported, a tree seedling costing about Kshs 30 is planted. Out of their estimated 1.3 billion litres per year per year they would plant 650 million trees annually. After seven years, Vivo could contribute to the earth’s lungs with 4.55 billion trees. A green signature that could be sealed through discounted oil pump prices. In the non-profit sector, an international organization such as the World Vision could integrate tree growing into existing programs so that the 3.1 million people in its sphere of work plant trees equivalent to their ages. This would result in 425.32 million trees planted over seven years. Similarly, embassies in Kenya could rally the estimated 1.5 million foreigners to plant 19.6 trees per person, then we would achieve 205.6 million trees in seven years. These simple yet practical structured steps demonstrate a possibility of growing 18.8 billion trees in seven years. This would seal Kenya’s emerging role as a veritable leader in greening the earth. The secret lies in turning our ages into annual tree growing targets. Think green, act green!