Co-Governance in Kenya's Climate Governance Nexus: Unraveling Donor-Government Dynamics and Implications for the Climate-Poverty Nexus

This research provides an in-depth exploration of the intricate dynamics of co-governance within the framework of Kenya's climate governance, focusing on the collaboration between donors and the government. Against the backdrop of Kenya's heavy dependence on donor support and conflicting commitments to accommodate financial inflows, we explore the roles played by donors and governments in this nexus. Historically, donors have influenced development cooperation, blending assistance with conditional support tied to their interests, creating accountability and sovereignty challenges. Advocates for "decolonizing aid" stress the importance of trust in local practitioners and communities. The intertwining of official development assistance (ODA) and international climate finance raises questions, as donor agencies increasingly administer climate projects on behalf of their governments. The use of similar instruments, such as loans and conditionalities, prompts critical reflection on donors' historical actions and their impact on contemporary global development. Building upon these perspectives, the paper embraces a political economy approach to analyze donor-government co-governance in the climate-poverty nexus in Kenya. It categorizes the underlying logic of agent interaction into redistribution, marketization, and technocratic logics, defining roles along a spectrum from facilitators to co-optation. These roles significantly impact the climate-poverty nexus, influencing inter-governmental competition and shaping the trajectory of climate politics. Within this framework, interests, institutions, and ideas emerge as dominant factors within formal and informal decision-making networks. Our research takes a comprehensive approach, scrutinizing decision-making structures, informal policy-making aspects, and the formation of networks and rules. Key questions focus on impactful partnerships, the motivations of involved parties, and the poverty implications of policies or projects. Specifically, the study aims to unravel the intricacies of decision-making within these networks, understanding contributors, their motivations, and the implications for poverty alleviation. Central to this exploration is an inquiry into the social groups that benefit or lose in the context of donor-government co-governance. Utilizing qualitative methods, including interviews with donors, government officials, and local consultancies, the paper investigates the funding landscape, project implementation, and beneficiaries. The examination of informal decision-making aspects aims to reveal the dynamics of partnerships, their formation, and their impact on poverty-related outcomes. The study sheds light on the influence of Kenya's debt to donors on policy decisions, with critiques suggesting a potential alignment with donor interests. A recent shift in climate politics is observed, emphasizing the attraction of more finance and endorsing market-driven solutions and climate-smart technologies, particularly in the realm of mitigation. The emphasis on mitigation over adaptation underscores the market-driven nature of Kenya's climate finance agenda. In conclusion, our research contributes to the discourse in development studies by providing a nuanced analysis of co-governance in Kenya's climate governance. The study uncovers the complexities of donor-government dynamics and their far-reaching implications for the climate-poverty nexus.