{"id":140162,"date":"2026-05-07T14:02:56","date_gmt":"2026-05-07T14:02:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/parliament-pushes-for-methane-specific-laws-to-tackle-emission-ahead-of-ipu-seminar\/"},"modified":"2026-05-07T14:02:56","modified_gmt":"2026-05-07T14:02:56","slug":"parliament-pushes-for-methane-specific-laws-to-tackle-emission-ahead-of-ipu-seminar","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/parliament-pushes-for-methane-specific-laws-to-tackle-emission-ahead-of-ipu-seminar\/","title":{"rendered":"Parliament Pushes for Methane-Specific Laws to Tackle Emission, Ahead of IPU Seminar"},"content":{"rendered":"

NAIROBI, Kenya, May 7 \u2014 Parliament has stepped up calls for methane-specific legislation and policy reforms as lawmakers push for urgent action to curb emissions blamed for accelerating climate change.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The renewed push emerged during a Parliament-Media Breakfast Dialogue on Methane Emissions held at Parliament Buildings on Thursday ahead of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) Regional Seminar on Methane and Climate Action set for May 14\u201318 in Nairobi.<\/p>\n

Lawmakers, scientists and development partners warned that despite Kenya having broader climate laws, there are currently no regulations specifically targeting methane emissions, which experts described as a major but often overlooked contributor to global warming.<\/p>\n

Chairperson of the Parliamentary Pastoralist Group Abdullahi Bashir said Parliament must now move to develop methane-focused laws while ensuring pastoralist communities are included in climate policy discussions.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are number of regulations or acts that we have but nothing specific on methane. It is upon Parliament now to structure specific methane regulations. We need to look at methane specific regulations or acts,\u201d Bashir said.<\/p>\n

The Mandera North Legislator noted that pastoralist communities are often excluded from climate consultations despite occupying nearly 80 percent of Kenya\u2019s arid and semi-arid land.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Pastoralist communities is left out on the discourse on climate change on matters methane,\u201d he said, questioning how clean energy interventions would reach nomadic communities.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Pastoralists communities are highly mobile, what interventions do you have to ensure that they have clean energy,\u201d he posed.<\/p>\n

He further called for more research on methane emissions from camels, arguing that most existing studies focus on cattle.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy challenge is that we dont have the research yet on the impact and contribution of methane by camel,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Legislation on livestock productivity<\/h2>\n

National Assembly Departmental Committee on Livestock and Agriculture Chairperson Dr. John Mutunga said Parliament has a responsibility to fast-track awareness, legislation and policy interventions on methane reduction.<\/p>\n

\u201cMethane is potent and therefore responsible for 30 per cent of the global warming,\u201d Mutunga said.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is 80 times more potent than carbon dioxide when you look at a span of 20 years horizon. So it is a very serious green house gas.\u201d<\/p>\n

He noted that human activity contributes between 50 and 60 percent of methane emissions globally, making reduction efforts critical in slowing climate change.<\/p>\n

Mutunga urged lawmakers to focus future legislation on livestock productivity, feed quality, animal health and waste management systems.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere is need for appropriate regulations, legislation and even policies and these legislations should focus on the breed of animals we have and the variety of improvement of crops,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cLegislation should also address quality of feed that we give to our animals with a clear focus on the extend to which they increase methane production and focus on reductions methane.\u201d<\/p>\n

He added that improving livestock health management would also help lower emissions.<\/p>\n

\u201cSick animals produce more methane,\u201d Mutunga said.<\/p>\n

The lawmaker further emphasized Parliament\u2019s role in driving public awareness and accelerating adoption of climate interventions.<\/p>\n

Clerk of the Senate and Secretary to the Parliamentary Service Commission Jeremiah Nyegenye described climate change as an urgent national challenge affecting livelihoods, economies and ecosystems.<\/p>\n

\u201cClimate change is not an abstract issue. It is a present and practical challenge, one that touches our economy, our environment, and the daily lives of all of us,\u201d Nyegenye said.<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

Impact on agricultural productivity<\/h2>\n

United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Director of Industry and Economy Division Dr. Sheila Aggarwal-Khan warned that methane emissions are increasingly affecting agricultural productivity and public health globally.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are seeing methane emissions growing globally and yet affecting agricultural productivity,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Aggarwal-Khan identified organic waste, livestock, rice farming and oil and gas leaks as key methane sources while highlighting opportunities in circular economy solutions.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe see innovations converting organic waste into livestock feed and fertilizer,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat could be very interesting as we think through how to reduce methane emissions across the country.\u201d<\/p>\n

She added that methane mitigation could also create investment opportunities in renewable energy, waste recycling and sustainable agriculture.<\/p>\n

International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) Senior Scientist Dr. Claudia Arndt said Kenya already has workable methane reduction solutions that only need scaling up.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe do have solutions. We do know what works and we do have an idea what works in which systems, but we need to really scale,\u201d Arndt said.<\/p>\n

She noted that livestock remains Kenya\u2019s largest source of methane emissions, followed by waste and rice farming.<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

According to Arndt, improving livestock feed quality could raise milk production by about 30 percent while cutting methane emissions by 15 percent.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf we were effectively to not have calf mortality, we could feed 4.5 million more Kenyans with meat,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Arndt added that modelling in Kenya\u2019s beef sector showed methane emissions could be reduced by up to 50 percent by 2050 through improved feeding, animal health, breeding and management practices.<\/p>\n

Regen Organics Managing Director Michael Lwoyelo said poor waste management was becoming both a climate and public health crisis.<\/p>\n

\u201cOrganic waste is not just a societal problem. It\u2019s not just a public health problem. What we are now seeing is that organic waste is actually a climate problem,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Lwoyelo said Kenya generates about 22,000 tonnes of waste daily, 60 percent of which is organic and capable of producing methane when left to decompose without oxygen.<\/p>\n

During the closing session, Senate Lands, Environment and Natural Resources Committee Chairperson Senator Mohamed Faki said methane reduction must now be treated as an environmental, economic and governance priority.<\/p>\n

\u201cAddressing methane emissions is not only an environmental imperative, but also an economic, social and governance priority,\u201d Faki said.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor Parliament, the message is clear. We must continue to strengthen our legislative frameworks, deepen our oversight and ensure that climate commitments are translated into practical, measurable outcomes at both national and county levels.\u201d<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

NAIROBI, Kenya, May 7 \u2014 Parliament has stepped up calls for methane-specific legislation and policy reforms as lawmakers push for urgent action to curb emissions blamed for accelerating climate change. The renewed push emerged during a Parliament-Media Breakfast Dialogue on Methane Emissions held at Parliament Buildings on Thursday ahead of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) Regional […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-140162","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","entry"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack-related-posts":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/140162","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=140162"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/140162\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=140162"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=140162"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=140162"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}