DPP Reaffirms his office’s commitment to addressing Climate Change

The Director of Public Prosecutions Renson Ingonga, OGW has reaffirmed his commitment to advancing legal strategies in the fight against climate change. Speaking during the 29th session of the Conference of Parties (COP 29) in Baku, Azerbaijan, the DPP noted that the Constitution of Kenya, 2010, Article 69 obligates the State to protect the environment through sustainable management practices geared towards safeguarding the citizens’ right to a clean and healthy environment.

He added that the Government of Kenya is committed to climate resilience mechanisms to ensure low carbon emissions.

The DPP further explained that the Criminal justice institutions in Kenya are taking steps to make their operations more environmentally friendly. “The ODPP is among the institutions that are leading the charge in integrating climate change adaptation into its day-to-day operations in the Criminal Justice System to mitigate the triple planetary crises of climate change, pollution, and biodiversity loss.” Said the DPP.

He revealed that his office has embraced the greening initiative that aligns with his strategic agenda of prosecution as an enabler of national development. This agenda seeks to broaden the role of a 21st-century prosecutor beyond criminal litigation to play a critical role in the fight against climate change.

In supporting the continued fight against climate change, the National Council on the Administration of Justice (NCAJ) where the DPP serves as the vice chair, developed a ‘Strategic Guiding Framework for Greening Kenya’s Justice System’ through which agencies and stakeholders in the justice sector are coming together to embark on the transformative journey of greening Kenya’s Justice System. The Strategic policy outlines the tenets that Justice Institutions, including ODPP, are supposed to implement in their operations that will green the justice system; functional, physical, legislative, policy, procedural, technology adoption, rights-based advocacy, human resource and knowledge-building,

The DPP outlined that his office has put in place measures for the Prosecution of environmental crimes through innovative strategies such as the establishment of the Land and Environmental Division, and Maritime Crimes Division, embracing policies that adapt to greening initiatives, adopting technology in the discharge of ODPP mandate, use of Solar power in ODPP offices, undertaking community sensitization and dialogues on environmental crime and management as well as participating in Environmental greening initiatives

On the sidelines of the Conference, the DPP held bilateral meetings with the Prosecutor General of Russia His Excellency Igor Krasnov, and Prosecutor General of Azerbaijan His Excellency Dr. Kamran Aliyev as well as the Executive Director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime Ms Ghada Waly to advance his strategic agenda on interagency cooperation and collaboration.