Raila calls for action to stem climate change

By Ally Jamah in Cancun, Mexico
Prime Minister Raila Odinga has told industrialised countries to take responsibility for triggering climate change.
Briefing the Kenyan delegation after his arrival in Cancun, Mexico to attend the ongoing climate change talks, the PM stressed that developed nations should clean up the climate mess they created.
He told industrial countries to cut greenhouse gas emissions and provide financial and technological assistance to developing countries to combat climate change.
"We know there are many vested interests and power games in these talks, but we also know what we want. Developed countries should play their rightful role in fighting climate change, " he said.
The PM, in his official speech yesterday, urged all nations in the world to work together to address climate change. Studies show that Kenya is among the countries expected to be hit hard by climate change.
Raila said Kenya was lobbying to have all the UN organisations involved in matters of environment and climate change to be based in Nairobi, where the Unep is based.
This includes the Secretariat of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, which is leading the talks in Cancun and is based in Bonn, Germany.
"The international structures and institutions dealing with the environment are scattered around the globe and we want them to be consolidated into one organisation with their headquarters in Nairobi. This will make their work effective, " he said.
Forestry Minister Noah Wekesa expressed hope that a deal would be reached in Cancun to help African countries mitigate and adapt to climate change.
"But we do not want the money meant to help us to be managed by such institutions like the World Bank since we may be short-changed. We seek another mechanism," he said.
Negotiators in Cancun are working to establish a special Sh8 trillion (US$100) fund to help developing countries worst hit by effects of climate change, but African countries want their money managed by African Development Bank.
Environment Assistant Minister Margaret Kamar said Kenya was addressing the threat of climate change through the Kenya Climate Change Response Strategy as well as an Anti-Climate Change Bill that is soon to be tabled in Parliament.