On the 23rd of November 2023, the High Court of Kenya declared the Affordable Housing Levy as unconstitutional due to the lack of a legal framework on how the funds would be collected and administered. Thereafter, the National Assembly published the Affordable Housing Bill, 2023 to remedy the concerns raised by the High Court.
The Environmental and Social Management Framework (ESMF) aligns well with the established format and standards expected of an environmental and social safeguard document. The document captures key components such as principles, safeguard procedures, institutional arrangements, grievance redress mechanisms, risk impacts and management, capacity building, as well as monitoring and evaluation.
Wildlife is the single largest resource within the Taita Taveta County. Wildlife in protected areas is a national asset protected and managed by the National Government. The lack of a national natural resource benefit sharing framework denies Taita Taveta County and its residents the opportunity to equitably share revenues generated from the Tsavo National Park. The county government and communities in Taita Taveta are, therefore, restricted to drawing benefits from wildlife resources within the ranches and conservancies.
One of the overarching themes emphasized by NECSA-K was the importance of recognizing and upholding the rights of indigenous and forest communities. The Alliance advocated for the incorporation of provisions within the legislation to acknowledge and respect these rights, ensuring their active participation in decision-making processes concerning forest management.
General observations highlighted significant concerns regarding the current draft of the National Forest Policy. One prominent issue is the perceived imbalance between prioritizing financial gains from forest exploitation over conservation efforts and the benefits that communities derive from forests. Additionally, stakeholders noted that the policy lacks emphasis on the vital ecosystem services provided by forests, such as water catchment, habitat preservation, and climate regulation.