Soipan Tuya, the cabinet secretary for environment, climate change, and forestry, has stated that her ministry is in the process of streamlining the charcoal trade in the nation to ensure that it is carried out legally and sustainably from an environmental standpoint by putting in place the necessary legislative safeguards.
“We also commit to decriminalize charcoal trade, modernize and commercialize the charcoal value chain; promote youth-owned and operated briquette making enterprises and support the scaling up of clean cooking,” CS Tuya said.
Speaking on Thursday at the Kenya Meteorological Department complex during the signing of performance contracts for the 2023–2024 fiscal year with principal secretaries and chairmen of parastatals under her ministry, Tuya listed promotion of agroforestry and sustainable waste management as her ministry’s other top priorities this year.
“In this regard, the priority value chains for intervention include biomass energy (wood fuel), agroforestry and solid waste management. The objective in agroforestry is to develop a policy and regulatory framework to attract climate finance funds into the sector and establish 5 million acres of agroforestry woodlots in drylands. We also intend to map and organise waste collectors into cooperatives and provide “circular economy” waste separation sites/infrastructure,” the CS said.
The departmental performance contracts for the 2023–2024 fiscal years, according to the speaker, are a continuation of the ministerial goals that she and President Dr. William Ruto signed on Tuesday of this week at State House in Nairobi.
According to CS Tuya, the targets included in the performance contracts were taken from the ministry’s recently released 2023 to 2027 five-year strategic plan, the Bottom-up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA) of the Kenya Kwanza administration, as well as deliverables decided upon during a Government retreat in Nanyuki late last year.
“Further, I am aware that all the PCs have incorporated the Nanyuki agreed one year deliverables (by 30th June, 2024). It is on this basis that the Performance Contracts for FY 2023/2024 have met all the requirements as per the 20th Cycle Performance Contracting Guidelines and are therefore, finalized and ready for signing,” Tuya said.
The CS reminded officers in her ministry to strictly abide by established Government performance management guidelines at the signing ceremony.
“As we sign these contracts today, let me remind you that you are required to strictly adhere to the performance reporting, both quarterly and annually. My office will be expecting to receive these reports promptly and at stipulated timeliness,” said CS Tuya.
She added, “It is my hope that all the set targets will be achieved and you are encouraged to timely communicate to my office any challenges and constraints affecting the implementation.”
The Cabinet Secretary also emphasised the value of performance contracts in the public sector, stating that the government uses them to boost efficiency and encourage accountability.
“The Government continues to use performance contracting as a key tool for accountability and is part of the broader public sector reforms aimed at improving efficiency and effectiveness in the management of the public service to improve service delivery,” she said.
