Photo Caption: Stakeholders pose for a group photo during the Kenya Green Building Society Annual Conference in Nairobi on October 2, 2026.
NAIROBI, October 2, 2026 — Kenya has been urged to accelerate the transition towards low-carbon, resource-efficient and climate-resilient buildings as the country responds to rapid urbanisation, climate change and growing demand for housing and infrastructure.
Speaking during the Kenya Green Building Society (KGBS) Annual Conference in Nairobi, Principal Secretary for Environment and Climate Change Dr. Eng. Festus K. Nge’no said the choices made in the built environment would determine the country’s ability to achieve sustainable economic growth while reducing exposure to climate risks.
“We must therefore address both operational and embodied emissions across the building life cycle,” Nge’no said.
He said climate change was already affecting cities through flooding, ecosystem degradation and damage to infrastructure, while rapid urbanisation and population growth were increasing demand for housing, commercial buildings and public infrastructure.
Nge’no said Kenya should improve energy and water efficiency in buildings, integrate renewable energy, strengthen climate-resilient designs and protect urban ecosystems while addressing emissions associated with cement, steel, transport and other construction materials.
“It is not sufficient to describe a project, a product or financial instrument as green. We must be able to demonstrate the outcomes in terms of reduced emissions, energy and water savings, resilient spending, green jobs and communities served,” he said.
He said public procurement could help create predictable demand for sustainable products and solutions, but the transition should be supported by technical capacity, locally available products, professional skills and suitable financing.
Nge’no also welcomed the launch of the Kenya Sustainable Built Environment Repository, saying it would help consolidate information on sustainable and resilient projects, programmes, products and solutions.
KGBS Chief Executive Officer Hon. Nasra Nanda said the organisation was working with government agencies, financial institutions, developers and other stakeholders to transform the built environment through policy, market capacity, financing and practical projects.
“The repository gives us the infrastructure to see what is there, how we can connect the market and accelerate what comes next,” Nanda said.
She said the Kenya Building Transition Programme was focusing on decarbonisation, resilience and market transformation, while ensuring that Kenyan professionals and businesses had the capacity to participate in major projects.
Nanda said the repository had captured 252 projects, comprising 110 certified green building projects and 142 non-certified sustainable and resilient projects, alongside 118 products and solutions.
The records document approximately 1.47 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent in annual reductions, 226.3 million kilowatt hours of annual energy impacts, nearly 1,396 megawatts of renewable energy capacity and about 28,767 cubic metres of annual water savings.
The repository also identifies 2,305 jobs, more than 116,000 beneficiaries and approximately 2.9 billion US dollars in separately identifiable green, resilient or renewable-energy component investments.
Nanda said the repository would provide government with market intelligence to support policy, procurement and reporting, while helping financial institutions identify projects and investment opportunities.
KCB Bank Director of Mortgage Caroline Wanjeri Kihara said financial institutions had a critical role to play in mobilising capital for sustainable and climate-resilient development.
“At KCB, we are ready to play our part by working collaboratively, building more partnerships to mobilise capital and building the right teams to be able to build climate-bankable projects,” Caroline said.
She said KCB had extended Sh48.8 billion in green financing and other climate-smart solutions in 2025, demonstrating the bank’s focus on the environmental and social impact of financed activities.
Caroline said KCB controlled 32.8 per cent of the country’s mortgage market, with a mortgage book worth about Sh100 billion, and was working with developers, counties and other partners to promote climate-responsive housing.
She said the bank had also established a dedicated project investment and sustainable finance unit to mobilise large-scale investment for affordable housing in partnership with developers, real estate investment trusts and development finance institutions.
Caroline urged stakeholders to move beyond incremental action and deliberately direct capital towards developments that are efficient, resilient and inclusive.
The conference brought together government, financial institutions, developers, professionals and other stakeholders to explore financing and innovation for resilient cities and a sustainable built environment.
