The Green Congress of Kenya (GCK) has cautioned that rapid environmental deterioration poses a threat to both livelihoods and ecosystems, calling for immediate measures from governmental authorities, local communities, and the private sector.
In a public declaration issued on Friday, GCK highlighted Kenya’s valuable natural assets are facing extraordinary challenges from deforestation, land deterioration, contamination, and global climatic shifts.
“Kenya is a country of exceptional natural splendor,” the declaration, signed by Party Leader Hillary Alila, stated.
“From the coastlines of Lake Victoria to the woodlands of Mount Kenya, from the plains of the Rift Valley to the mangrove forests along the Indian Ocean, our country possesses natural treasures that our ancestors carefully preserved and passed down. That legacy is now facing critical danger.”
Published in observance of World Environment Day, the declaration stressed that environmental damage has transformed from a theoretical issue to a tangible crisis impacting countless citizens throughout Kenya.
According to GCK, local populations are already confronting the impacts of altered weather conditions, extended dry spells, destructive flooding, disappearing woodlands, and reduced agricultural output.
“We are observing the swift deterioration of our land, the devastation of our forests, the accumulation of silt in our waterways, and the displacement of entire communities,” the declaration stated.
“Climate change is no longer a future prediction. It is a current situation affecting farmers in Homa Bay, fishermen on Lake Victoria, and families living along the Indian Ocean shoreline.”
The party underscored that environmental preservation must be regarded not as a partisan matter but as an issue fundamental to national survival.
“The environment transcends politicsit is a matter of survival,” GCK asserted. “It serves as the base for food security, public wellbeing, economic advancement, and national pride.”
The appeal emerges during a period when Kenya, similar to numerous African nations, continues to struggle with the repercussions of climate change. Recent periods have brought cycles of intense drought succeeded by catastrophic floods that have forced thousands from their homes, demolished public works, and endangered economic stability in various regions.
GCK requested the National Government to advance climate-related laws, enforce ecological regulations, and allocate resources to green initiatives that generate employment opportunities while rehabilitating damaged natural systems.
Regional administrations were instructed to give precedence to environmental protection in their developmental strategies, while residents were motivated to cultivate trees, preserve water collection regions, and oppose harmful activities including the illicit production of charcoal.
Allia restated the party’s dedication to promoting policies that establish environmental conservation as a core element of Kenya’s growth plan.
“The earth is not ours to own. We are merely its custodians,” Allia remarked, calling on Kenyans to unite in their efforts to guarantee a sustainable legacy for future generations.