NAIROBI, Kenya, Feb 15 – President William Ruto has reaffirmed Kenya’s commitment to deepening cooperation with the Green Climate Fund (GCF), as the country seeks to scale up financing for climate-resilient agriculture and low-carbon development.
The President met GCF Executive Director Mafalda Duarte on the sidelines of the 39th Summit of the African Union in Addis Ababa, where climate finance featured prominently in discussions among African leaders.
“We value our partnership with the Green Climate Fund in strengthening our national response to climate change,” he said.
“Together, we are promoting climate-resilient, low-carbon, financially sustainable agricultural value chains that equip our farmers with the technology, knowledge and services they need to thrive.”
The talks come at a time when Kenya and other African countries are grappling with the economic strain of climate-related shocks, including prolonged droughts, erratic rainfall and rising food insecurity.
Agriculture contributes roughly a third of Kenya’s GDP and employs the majority of rural households, leaving the economy highly exposed to climate variability.
The GCF established under the UN climate framework is the world’s largest dedicated climate fund and has approved more than $16 billion globally for adaptation and mitigation projects in developing countries.
African governments have repeatedly raised concerns about the pace and scale of climate finance flows relative to the continent’s needs.
In Kenya, GCF-backed programmes have supported climate-smart agriculture, renewable energy expansion and ecosystem restoration.
Recent approvals include financing to strengthen climate-resilient and low-carbon agricultural value chains in the Lake Region Economic Bloc, covering dairy, coffee, tea, poultry and horticulture.
The programme aims to enhance productivity, lower emissions and improve market access for smallholder farmers, particularly women, as part of broader efforts to build resilience in food systems.
The meeting in Addis Ababa comes amid renewed calls by African leaders for reform of the global climate finance architecture to ensure faster, fairer and more predictable flows to developing economies.
Kenya has consistently urged developed nations to honour climate finance pledges and expand concessional funding for adaptation, which accounts for a significant share of Africa’s climate needs.
President Ruto has framed climate action as both an environmental necessity and an economic opportunity, linking green investments to job creation, food security and long-term fiscal sustainability.