THE Kenyan government has given an assurance that the Nairobi African Climate Summit, scheduled from September 4 to 6, will not be ‘hijacked’ by outside interests.
During a press conference last week, Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary (Minister) for the Environment, Climate Change and Forestry, Soipan Tupa, said: ‘We are aware of the online accusation that certain international think tanks have hijacked the agenda.
‘This is extremely far from the truth.
‘As we have said, this is an African Climate summit, but we are also inviting…global leaders who are interested to hear the African narrative and the proposals that we are putting on the table.’
Tupa was reacting to a letter from over 360 civil society organisations that was sent to Ruto, and posted online, saying they ‘are gravely concerned about the direction the African Climate Summit is taking’.
The letter said: ‘Rather than advancing Africa’s interests and position on critical climate issues, the summit has been seized by Western governments, consultancy companies and philanthropic organisations hellbent on pushing a pro-West agenda and interests at the expense of Africa.
‘Even more worryingly, the agenda of the Summit has been unduly influenced by US-based consultancy firm McKinsey & Company.
‘The lead of African officials and ministers has been pushed on the backburner,’ the letter added.
The CSOs said ‘these developments are seriously unsettling’.
They continued: ‘The summit is a tremendous opportunity to chart a new course for the continent that creates a leadership vision for a cleaner, safer and prosperous future that protects our people, our food systems, water resources and biodiversity.’
But, the CSOs added, the Summit’s concept note, ‘as proposed by McKinsey & Company, reflects the interests of the US, McKinsey and the Western corporations they represent’. ‘Meanwhile, Africa’s stated priorities are conspicuously missing, as a result.
‘Moreover, the so-called “think tanks committee” set up to drive negotiations at the Summit is chaired by individuals who represent UK and US-based organisations and not African organisations,’ the CSOs complained.
‘Some African organisations that advance Western agenda have also been given a disproportionately huge role in the organisation of the event,’ they added.
When approached by Africa Briefing, McKinsey declined to comment on the letter.
The CSOs called on the Kenyan government to ‘withdraw the control and influence of McKinsey in the organisation of this Summit’.
They called for ‘an African-led expert group…to be established to help reshape the Summit’s agenda’ to ensure that ‘the meeting advances Africa’s interests and priorities as promoted by African governments and civil society in the UNFCCC [UN Framework Convention on Climate Change]’
Reacting to this at the press conference, Ms Tupa said although various initiatives responding to the climate crisis ‘are good, we are saying that they are not enough’.
She said Africa wanted to present to the world what it wanted to see on the climate issue.
‘By the global nature of the Summit, we have CSOs and consultancy firms listening to what we are saying and to confirm to the world that we are projecting the African position,’ Ms Tupa added.
She said the Kenyan government had invited CSOs, ‘who are critical players in this’, pointing out that pre-Summit meetings had been held with CSOs and that there would be activities involving them during the Summit.