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SPEECH BY CABINET SECRETARY, MINISTRY OF

ENVIRONMENT AND NATURAL RESOURCES, PROF.
JUDI WAKHUNGU DURING THE PRESENTATION OF
TANA DELTA LAND USE PLAN (LUP) & STRATEGIC
ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT TO STAKEHOLDERS
ON 27 JULY 2015 AT INTER CONTINENTAL HOTEL,
NAIROBI AT 11:00 A.M.

H.E. Munya
The Chairman
Council of Governors
H.E. Benjamin Cheboi
The Chairman-Water, Mining and Natural Resources
Hon. Chiaba Abu Mohamed
Senator, Lamu County
Hon. Bule, Ali Abdi
Senator, Tana River County
Hon. Amina Abdalla M,P.
The Chairperson, Parliamentary Committee on Environment and
Natural Resources
Hon. Alex Muiru M,P.
The Chairman, Parliamentary Committee on Lands
Hon. Ibrahim Ahmed Sane M,P.
Garsen Constituency

The Principal Secretary, Ministry of Land, Housing and Urban

Development, Ms. Mariamu El Maawy
The Principal Secretary State Department of Agriculture,
Ms. Sicily Kanini Kariuki
The Principal Secretary State Department of Fisheries, Ministry of
Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries, Prof. Micheni Ntiba
The Principal Secretary State Department of Livestock, Ministry of
Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries, Mr. Fred Sigor
The Governor, Tana River County,
H.E Amb. Hussein Dado
The Governor, Lamu County,
H.E Issa Timamy
Executive Director, Kenya
(KIPPRA), Mr. John Omiti

Institute

of

Public

Policy

Research

Chief Executive Officer, Kenya Water Towers,

Mr. Francis Ole NKako
The Managing Director, Tana and Athi Rivers Development Authority
The Chief Executive Officer, National Land Commission,
Mr. Mohammed Swazuri
The Director General NEMA,
Prof. Geofrey Wahungu,
The Director General, Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS),
Mr. William Kiprono
The Director General, national Museums of Kenya (NMK),
Dr. Mzalendo Kibunjia
The Ag. Director, Kenya Forests Service (KFS),
Mr. Emilio Mugo
Executive Director, Nature Kenya,

Dr. Paul Matiku

The Country Director, WWF
Invited guests and all partners,
Ladies and Gentlemen

It gives great pleasure to join you here for this auspicious

occasion of presentation of Tana Delta land use plan & strategic
environmental assessment to stakeholders. The Tana Delta plays
a crucial role in sustaining many livelihoods and significant

biodiversity in this country. It is a unique deltaic wetland that has

over the years provided essential goods and services and
therefore supported the life and well-being of many dependent
communities.
Having known the importance arising from Tana Delta which the
present generation enjoys, it is in order to realize the need to
promote sustainable development and wise-use of this wetland
through adoption of life-changing actions that not only support
community well-being but also enhance nature conservation.
The need to encourage and promote wise-use actions are not just
envisaged by the Ramsar Convention, the international treaty
governing sustainable management of our wetlands, but equally,

our Constitution has elucidated and paved way for sustainable

development and green growth.
Tana Delta has been facing many severe threats from the impacts
and activities of mankind, mainly competing land uses and
resultant conflicts. This fragile ecosystem therefore is at a critical
juncture of losing essential life-supporting services and goods to
both nature and mankind. The need to ensure that the Delta has
the necessarily resilience to withstand the multiple pressures is
therefore, our responsibility as individuals, communities and
governments.
Ladies and Gentlemen,

All stakeholders must therefore work together and support the

governments in promoting sustainable development.

To ensure

that Tana Delta wetland functions are sustained, my Ministry will

endeavor to minimize and address impacts to this wetland
resulting from changes in land use. This will be mainly carried out
through creation of awareness as well as capacity building to
community within and other interest groups.
collaboration

with

relevant

stakeholders

will

My ministry in
put

in

place

programmes that will ensure sustainable agricultural practices

within the wetlands and promote other sustainable livelihood
options to the communities to reduce over dependency on
wetlands and their products.

My Ministry acknowledges that the development of this Land Use

Plan, which has been adequately informed by the elaborate
Strategic Environment Assessment, has been a rigorous and
laborious

process.

Land

Use

Planning

is

integral

in

the

management of our natural resources and the environment. It

brings the much needed social order and supports developmental
agenda through the various policy statements. This two-tier
process has demonstrated the capacity that we have as a
country, the commitment and the will to promote sustainable
development.
concurrent
Government.

Environmental

jurisdiction

management

between

the

mandate

National

and

is

County

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In this regard, Ladies and Gentlemen, my ministry will continue

to support the County Governments and stakeholders to realize
our environmental goals and the right to a clean and healthy
environment for all as envisioned under Article 42 of our
Constitution.
Though the national government mainly provides policy guidance,
I am delighted that the LUP/SEA process for Tana Delta was
spearheaded and will be implemented by the respective counties.
In this case, I want to sincerely thank the Governors of Tana River
and Lamu Counties for their excellent support towards this
gesture. My Ministry will continue working closely with you.

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Finally, Ladies and gentlemen, I want to thank all the

stakeholders and institutions that supported this work and all of
you who have come for this meeting in order to understand the
Tana delta LUP/SEA. There are many players involved but I wish to
single out Nature Kenya who worked collaboratively with the
Royal Society for Protection of Birds (RSPB) in United Kingdom to
win support from the DFID, we are grateful to the UK Government.
I am aware that the Dutch Government also provided funding
through the IUCN-Ecosystem Alliance also through Nature Kenya. I
also wish to thank the lead expert Mr Peter Nelson who not only
guided the LUP and SEA process but build the capacity of national
experts to replicate the work in other deltas in Kenya.

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My Ministry will work with you together with other relevant

stakeholders

in

developing

the

necessary

tools

and

legal

frameworks that will enhance conservation and management of

wetlands and in turn ensure sustained supply of ecosystem goods
and services. In my capacity as Global Environment Facility Focal
Point, I have already allocated some financial resources to Nature
Kenya and UNEP to initiate the implementation of some elements
of this Land Use Plan.
I thank you all and look forward to working with you to halt the
loss of ecosystem services provided by the Tana Delta and other
deltaic ecosystems in Kenya.
THANK YOU.