Sustainable natural resource management has been identified as a key national security pillar.
Internal Security and National Administration principal secretary, Dr Raymond Omollo says modern security management requires officers to focus on natural resource use and protection.
Addressing a start-up workshop on Integrated Natural Resource Management Programme (INREMP) attended by senior ministry officials in at a hotel in Eldoret yesterday, Dr Omollo said the security situation had become sophisticated and demanded attention beyond maintaining law and order.
“Traditionally, our mandate as a State Department has been associated with maintaining law and order. However, in today’s evolving governance and security landscape, it is clear that the sustainable management and protection of natural resources is a critical pillar of national security,” he said.
Dr Omollo said competition for resources, including land, water, forests, fisheries and pasture had historically contributed to local tensions and conflicts.
He noted that climate variability, environmental degradation and pressure on the resources had caused security challenges in some parts of the country in the past.
Dr Omollo said degradation of ecosystems led to resource scarcity, threatened livelihoods, diminished economic opportunities and social tensions.
He added: “Conversely, when natural resources are sustainably managed and equitably accessed, communities become more resilient, livelihoods are strengthened and stability is reinforced”.
Citing conflicts arising from competition for pasture and water among herders in arid and semi-arid areas during droughts, the PS said there was a direct relationship between environmental stress and insecurity.
He urged the officers to check against illegal logging and encroachment of forests as part of their duty to secure the country.
Dr Omollo said extreme environmental conditions had wreaked havoc in the country, citing the recent flash floods in the country that killed 40 people, injured many and destroyed property.
“These realities remind us that the protection of natural resources is not only about conservation, it is about safeguarding livelihoods, preventing situations that may cause conflict, and protecting the long-term stability of our nation,” he noted.
The PS said he was happy with the implementation of INReMP, adding that it aligned with the Government’s Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda, which emphasizes inclusive growth, food security and sustainable livelihoods.
He noted that country had started reaping dividends from the programme in security management and stability of the country.
The National Government Administrative Officers (NGAOs) had played a critical role in the successful implementation of the programme, he said.
Dr Omollo said INReMP complemented many ongoing national initiatives, including the Financing Locally Led Climate Action Programme, the Food Systems Resilience Programme, and the National Agricultural Value Chain Development Project.
“Together, these initiatives represent a coordinated national effort to strengthen climate resilience, improve agricultural productivity and promote sustainable management of our natural resources,” he added.
