Parliament called upon to stop carbon credit fraud
Camels graze in one of Northern Kenya Rangelands' carbon project conservancies. Judges have blocked the organisation's operations in two wards in Isiolo County.
What you need to know:
- The alarm comes amid a surge of fake environmentalists hoodwinking rural communities into signing fraudulent carbon credit deals, taking advantage of growing interest in climate action and carbon markets.
Fraudsters posing as environmental professionals are increasingly targeting rural Kenyans with fake carbon credit agreements, prompting urgent calls for Parliament to expedite new legislation that would regulate the sector and protect vulnerable communities.
Environmental stakeholders who met in Naivasha recently urged both the National Assembly and Senate to fast-track the Environmental Professionals Institute of Kenya Bill, 2024, which they say is crucial to weeding out imposters who are exploiting thousands of Kenyans.
The alarm comes amid a surge of fake environmentalists hoodwinking rural communities into signing fraudulent carbon credit deals, taking advantage of growing interest in climate action and carbon markets.
"We are the only profession that has allowed practitioners who have no background in our trade to operate freely," stated Peter Odhengo, director of the Financing Locally Led Climate Action (FLLoCA) programme.
Speaking during a three-day Climate Action workshop, he added: "They are taking advantage of Kenyans in the rural areas, asking them to sign up for carbon credit agreements. This is what we wish to curb. We are urging you to help us get this Bill enacted into law.”
The Environmental Professionals Society of Kenya Bill 2025, fronted by Nominated Senator Beth Syengo and published in February, represents the first comprehensive attempt to address the regulatory vacuum in Kenya's environmental sector.
If enacted, the landmark legislation would establish a framework for oversight, regulation, and registration of environmental professionals—a move experts say is critical for safeguarding ecological integrity and fostering sustainable development.
Beyond addressing fraud, lawmakers at the Naivasha forum—attended by members of the Parliamentary Caucus on Climate Change, National Treasury officials, and committees from both houses of Parliament—emphasised the need for broader reforms to Kenya's climate legislation.
Led by Homa Bay Senator Moses Kajwang, legislators called for a comprehensive review of the Climate Change Act 2016 to align it with emerging technologies and evolving climate realities.
"A review of our climate law is crucial to ensure it effectively addresses the evolving nature of climate change," stated Senator Kajwang, highlighting the need to integrate climate law across diverse governance levels, from international agreements like the Paris Agreement to local regulations.
Kenya's climate leadership role
Kenya, which enacted the Paris Agreement in 2016, has positioned itself as a regional climate leader through ambitious targets including a 32 per cent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 under its Nationally Determined Contribution programme.
Senator Kajwang championed enhanced collaboration among African legislators to develop comprehensive climate change laws that benefit the entire continent. Kenya's early adoption of climate legislation positions it well to rally other regional legislatures, he noted.
Continental cooperation is already underway through the Africa Network of Parliamentarians on Climate Change, which aims to enhance climate policy formulation and legislative implementation across Africa.
Senator Beatrice Ogolla, representing Senate Committee chairperson Mohamed Faki, reaffirmed Parliament's commitment to aligning Kenya's legislation with international climate commitments.
"Guided by the Climate Change Act (2016) and the National Climate Change Action Plan, our committee has spearheaded legislative reforms to align Kenya's governance framework with global climate commitments, including the Paris Agreement and Agenda 2030," she stated.
Recent legislative milestones include the Climate Change Act Amendment Bill, which seeks to establish annual carbon sequestration targets and strategies, and the Environmental Laws Amendment Bill focused on forest conservation, afforestation, and reforestation across all 47 counties.
These legislative efforts come as Kenya works toward its broader sustainable development goals while protecting citizens from exploitation in the growing but largely unregulated carbon credit market.
