Transparency International (TI) has kicked off a campaign to ensure money meant to fight global warming or guard against extreme droughts and floods is not lost to corruption.
TI under Climate Governance Integrity Program is striving to create awareness on climate change money.
The programme's Coordinator, Nzeka Nzioka said the public must know how the money is spent.
Nzioka said the sum involved is huge in addressing climate change in the renewable energy sector, clean transport, carbon markets and reforestation projects.
Speaking on Thursday in Kisumu during a forum titled “Let Every Shilling Count: Stop Corruption in Climate Governance”, Nzioka said the public must monitor the money since it might be embezzled by diverting it from the people who need it more.
“We have to capacity build the public so that they can question and demand for answers from those who are carrying out the climate change projects,” he said.
He said climate financing is a new concept and can be prone to corruption if left unchecked.
Nzioka said there is need for increased transparency to save the future generation from the impact of climate change.
The Executive Director of Transform Empowerment for Action Initiative (TEAM) George Collins Owuor said climate financing is shrouded in mystery.
Owuor said the public should be told how much money is received for climate change adaptation and mitigation.
He challenged Kisumu County Governor Jack Ranguma to come out publicly and declare how much the county has received in addressing climate change issues.
Collins said the focus has been on the funds being disbursed by the national government yet nobody is keen to follow about grants being given to the counties.
“There is a lot in terms of double budgeting, nobody tells us how much grants they have received. The person in charge of green energy and climate must come out and table how much the county has received,” he said.