NAIROBI, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- Candidates vying for elective posts in the forthcoming Kenyan polls should pay attention to policies that advance environmental sustainability, conservationists said on Thursday.
The conservationists urged inclusion of green agenda in political parties' manifesto to strengthen response to climate change and other ecological challenges facing the East African Nation.
Njeri Kabeberi, Executive Director of Greenpeace Africa said that placing the environmental sustainability agenda at the heart of political discourse is key to realizing inclusive prosperity in Kenya.
"The incoming elected leaders in national and county governments should put in place policies that will enable the country to achieve UN sustainable development goal (SDG) number 7 towards ensuring environmental sustainability," Kabeberi said.
She challenged political parties to articulate their green agenda in a coherent manner to the public and other stakeholders before the country goes to the polls on Tuesday next week.
Both local and international conservation lobbies have engaged aspirants for elective posts to reactivate a conversation revolving around green economy, smart farming and energy security.
Kabeberi said that a robust political goodwill is key to revitalizing the green agenda in Kenya amid threats posed by climate change including food insecurity, ecosystems depletion, water scarcity and spread of tropical diseases.
"The newly elected officials at all levels of government need to rethink their priorities on farming systems ,food security, energy and pollution of fresh water sources," said Kabeberi.
She lauded the enforcement of a plastic ban announced by the ministry of environment early this year, saying it will tackle the pollution menace in urban centers.
"Greenpeace Africa calls on the future Kenyan governments at both national and county levels to ensure the plastic ban is implemented in full," Kabeberi remarked, adding that Kenya's decision to slap a ban on the manufacture and use of plastic bags boosted its green credentials.
