Biodiversity Protection and Conservation Efforts Are Failing to Deliver Opportunities for Youth as Corruption and Mismanagement of Public Resources Continue to Strangle Green Enterprises
Kenya has made significant commitments towards environmental conservation, biodiversity protection and the restoration of degraded ecosystems. Across the country, government agencies, development partners, communities and private enterprises are investing in tree growing, landscape restoration, climate adaptation and other green economy initiatives. These efforts should be creating opportunities for young people, particularly those living in rural communities where environmental degradation directly affects livelihoods. Unfortunately, the reality is that the growth of youth-led green enterprises continues to face significant obstacles, many of which are rooted in corruption, poor public resource management and the failure of government institutions to honour commitments made to local enterprises. Recent World Bank analysis on corruption and public sector efficiency in Kenya has brought renewed attention to the economic cost of corruption and the opportunities the country stands to unlo...