CSOs Step Up Oversight Role in Climate Action Through FLLoCA Training Workshop

 

In a concerted effort to strengthen community-led climate change responses, Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) from Western Kenya have convened for a strategic training workshop aimed at enhancing their oversight capacity in the implementation of the Financing Locally-Led Climate Actions (FLLoCA) program.

Organized by the Project Implementation Unit for FLLoCA and supported by the National Treasury, the workshop brought together representatives from Busia, Bungoma, Vihiga, and Kakamega Counties. The event provided a crucial platform for CSO leaders to share experiences, confront challenges, and align developmental priorities in their collective fight against the impacts of climate change.

Speaking at the opening of the workshop, Eng. Andrew Meso, the County Executive Committee Member (CECM) for Climate Change, lauded the initiative as timely and necessary.

“This engagement ensures that development efforts at the county level are people-centered, inclusive, and sustainable,” he said. Eng. Meso emphasized the critical oversight role CSOs must play in the FLLoCA projects, urging them to actively monitor implementation and ensure that community interests are at the heart of climate action. “The community has the final say,” he noted.

The training addressed a wide range of issues including transparency, access to information, and participatory monitoring and evaluation. Participants echoed the need for project transparency and timely access to information, citing these as key to building public ownership and trust in the program.

Pauline Saris, the Busia County CSO representative and workshop host, expressed optimism that the regional forum would create a more targeted approach to community engagement. “This space allows us to strengthen collaboration not just among CSOs, but with government agencies, the private sector, and the wider community,” she said.

One pressing concern highlighted was the limited capacity of local project management committees to oversee ongoing initiatives. CSO leaders called for more empowerment and training of these officers, noting that their capacity directly affects the effectiveness of civil society oversight.

Additionally, the forum stressed the importance of robust monitoring, evaluation, and reporting mechanisms for FLLoCA projects. CSOs advocated for clear accountability structures and feedback loops that ensure the sustainability of climate interventions.

As climate change continues to disproportionately affect the poor and vulnerable, CSOs reaffirmed their commitment to being watchdogs, advocates, and facilitators of inclusive climate action. Their strengthened role is set to ensure that FLLoCA’s goals translate into real, measurable impacts on the ground—especially in counties most exposed to climate shocks.

May 07, 2025