Standfirst: We are investing billions in solar panels and tree seedlings, but a damning report by the Auditor General asks the uncomfortable question: Where is the ledger?

Kenya is positioning itself as the "Green Powerhouse" of Africa. The numbers are dazzling: 34.9% of the country's overall investment portfolio is now dedicated to climate products. From the sprawling solar farms of Garissa to the mangrove restoration projects in Lamu, the money is flowing. But a new "Deep Dive" into the data reveals a critical flaw in the machinery: we are spending money we cannot properly track.

According to a special report by Auditor General Nancy Gathungu, published in November 2025 and currently reverberating through the Treasury, the government lacks a formal, unified system for tracking and reporting climate finance. In essence, Kenya is flying a high-tech plane with a broken instrument panel.

The Investment Breakdown

The Star's analysis of the investment landscape shows a heavy skew towards visible, high-yield projects:

• Solar Equipment: 18.8% of investments. The sun is our oil, and the private sector is cashing in.
• Tree Planting: 18.8%. Driven by the President's 15 billion tree initiative.
• Water Conservation: 6.8%. Critical for resilience, but underfunded compared to energy.
• Clean Cooking: 3.4%. A vital health intervention that remains a "poor cousin" in the funding hierarchy.
• Biogas: A measly 0.3%. Despite its potential for rural households, it is virtually ignored.

The Governance Gap

The Auditor General's concern is not just bureaucratic nitpicking. Without a transparent tracking system, "Greenwashing" becomes easy. Funds earmarked for climate adaptation can be diverted to recurring expenditure. Double-counting of donor funds becomes rampant. Investors, both local and foreign, need certainty that their "Green Bonds" are actually greening the economy.

As Kenya seeks to attract trillions in climate finance at the upcoming COP summits, this governance gap is a liability. You cannot manage what you cannot measure. The Treasury must move beyond announcements and build a robust, digital Climate Finance Registry.

"Sustainability requires accountability," an economic analyst warned. "If we cannot account for the shillings we are spending on the climate today, we will pay a much higher price in the weather of tomorrow."