Kenya receives US$42M to reduce methane emissions

KENYA – Kenya has received a US$42 million grant (approximately Sh5.4 billion) from the Green Climate Fund to reduce methane emissions across 12 counties.

The announcement was made at a parliamentary breakfast dialogue on methane emissions in Nairobi, where the Principal Secretary for the State Department of Livestock Development stated that the livestock sector accounts for over 70 percent of Kenya’s total methane emissions.

The strategy focuses on enhancing productivity through improved genetics, feed management, animal health, and manure handling, emphasizing economic gains alongside climate benefits.

The Dairy Interventions for Mitigation and Adaptation (DalMA) project aims to reduce national livestock emissions by 20 percent by 2032.

Kenya’s initiative forms part of a broader East African programme valued at $358 million, supported by the International Fund for Agricultural Development.

Alongside Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda will also benefit from interventions aimed at building climate resilience and reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the dairy industry.

The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the Green Climate Fund (GCF) have signed an agreement to co-finance the Dairy Interventions for Mitigation and Adaptation (DaIMA) programme in East Africa to bolster climate resilience and sustainable dairy agriculture.

The initiative, valued at US$358 million, includes a US$150 million contribution from GCF, and is set to directly benefit 2.5 million rural people across Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda.

The programme will help smallholder dairy farmers become more resilient to climate change through improved veterinary services, enhanced extension and breeding services, and better access to climate information.

Additionally, over 15 million people will indirectly benefit from the programme throughout the dairy sector’s value chains.

The dairy sector in East Africa is highly vulnerable to climate change and is also characterized by high greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, especially methane.

The impacts of climate change include heat stress on dairy animals, prolonged and more recurrent droughts, intensifying heavy rainfall, flooding, and other extreme weather events that reduce dairy cow productivity.

The DaIMA programme aims to reduce GHG emissions from the dairy industry by 2,169,485 tCO2 eq. over a 20-year period, contributing to global efforts to combat climate change.

By securing this grant, Kenya positions itself as a regional leader in climate-smart agriculture. The programme is expected to deliver both environmental and economic benefits, aligning the country’s dairy sector with global climate goals while strengthening its role in sustainable food production.

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