The Ministry of Environment, Climate Change, and Forestry is taking steps to streamline the charcoal trade in the country

Cabinet Secretary Soipan Tuya announced this during the signing of performance contracts for the 2023 to 2024 financial year. The aim is to ensure that the charcoal trade is conducted lawfully and in an environmentally sustainable manner.

To achieve this, the ministry plans to decriminalize the charcoal trade, modernize and commercialize the charcoal value chain, promote youth-owned and operated briquette-making enterprises, and support the scaling up of clean cooking. By implementing appropriate legal safeguards, the ministry hopes to regulate and monitor the charcoal trade effectively.

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Agroforestry and sustainable waste management are also high on the ministry's agenda for this year. In terms of agroforestry, the aim is to develop a policy and regulatory framework to attract climate finance funds into the sector and establish five million acres of agroforestry woodlots in drylands. Additionally, the ministry plans to organize waste collectors into cooperatives and provide circular economy waste separation sites/infrastructure.

The performance contracts for the 2023 to 2024 financial year were signed between the Cabinet Secretary and the principal secretaries and chairmen of parastatals under the ministry. These contracts are derived from the ministry's recently launched five-year strategic plan, the Bottom-up Economic Transformation Agenda, and the deliverables agreed upon during a retreat in Nanyuki last year.

The Ministry of Environment, Climate Change, and Forestry emphasizes the importance of performance contracting in the public service. These contracts aim to enhance productivity and foster accountability, aligning with the government's broader public sector reforms. The ministry expects officers to comply with established government performance management guidelines and communicate any implementation challenges promptly.

Principal Secretaries Festus Ng'eno (Environment and Climate Change) and Gitonga Mugambi (Forestry) expressed their commitment to implementing the performance contracts successfully. They advised the ministry staff to document necessary performance evidence and assured CS Tuya that the targets are aligned with the strategic plan and Kenya Vision 2030.

As the ministry works towards streamlining the charcoal trade, it recognizes the need for sustainable practices and environmental conservation. By regulating and supporting the charcoal value chain, promoting alternative clean cooking methods, and focusing on agroforestry and waste management, the ministry aims to create a more sustainable and environmentally friendly charcoal trade sector. These efforts contribute to the overall goal of promoting a greener and more sustainable future for Kenya.