By Ken Muthomi - Reporter
Kenya, May 20, 2026 - The Ministry of Environment and Climate Change has cautioned that the Kenya Meteorological Services Authority (KMSA) and the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) are facing severe staffing shortages, a situation that could undermine the country’s environmental and climate resilience efforts.
According to State Department for Environment & Climate Change Principal Secretary Festus Ng’eno, recruiting more technical personnel in the two departments, which have over 1000 employees combined, will be fundamental in strengthening service delivery, regulatory oversight, and enforcement operations.
The PS specifically attributed the staffing challenges at KMSA to the ageing workforce as well as the ongoing transition of the institution from the Kenya Meteorological Department into a State Agency and Government Authority (SAGA).
The PS revealed this during the National Assembly Departmental Committee on Environment, Forestry, and Mining.
KMSA is a semi-autonomous government agency that regulates, coordinates, and delivers weather and climate services. The agency issues early warnings for disaster management, and serves key sectors like agriculture and aviation by analysing and generating timely weather updates.
On the other hand, NEMA is the agency responsible for supervising, coordinating, and implementing environmental policies. It enforces environmental regulations, issues licenses, manages waste, conducts environmental audits, and ensures sustainable development to protect ecosystems and public health.
The PS has revealed that he is working closely with the National Treasury to ensure that all pending bills in the two agencies are settled and that key projects continue without interruptions.
“I appeared before the National Assembly Departmental Committee on Environment, Forestry and Mining, chaired by Mwala MP, Hon. Eng. Vincent Musyoka, to deliberate on the FY 2026/27 Budget Estimates for the State Department for Environment and Climate Change,” the PS stated.
The PS also revealed that the government is keen to ensure the modernization of meteorological services in the country in a bid to strengthen early warning systems and improve climate information services across the country in support of climate resilience and disaster preparedness.
The State Department will also work closely with other government departments, such as the Ministry of Transport, to support the operational sustainability of KMSA.
This will also be vital in advancing the implementation of the National Climate Change Action Plan III, geared towards strengthening climate resilience, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and promoting green jobs and sustainable livelihoods in the country.
On Carbon markets, the PS has revealed that NEMA is overseeing the transition of project proponents from voluntary carbon market arrangements into a more structured framework, which is in line with national and international standards.
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