Kenya: Colonial Context

Environment   Sep 16, 2017 by Mohamed

How does your footprint reflect the economy of your country, including its colonial relations?

For a developing country like Kenya, with its low economy compared to today’s superpowers, our carbon footprint is high at 0.30 metric tonnes. This is surprising as poverty is still a problem to be solved. Kenya mostly relies on fresh produce exports serving as a way of surviving to some and makes up most of the country’s exports. As a result, the government is keen on climate change with introduction of new laws to help combat climate change. Last year, the country saw a reduction in yearly average rainfall and dealt a huge blow on the fresh produce exports.

The gap between the rich and poor is low with the poor living mainly living in the rural areas while the rich live in urban areas. This is where you see the problem, Rural areas have less a less Carbon footprint than urban areas and with urbanization and development of these towns and rural areas, the Carbon emissions are getting higher with Kenya not relying on renewable energy sources much and instead leaning towards coal, fossil fuels and crude oil. It starts to make sense and you see where the problem is finally.

When the colonialists came to Africa, they settled in places today we know as urban cities. During those times, they built roads and infrastructure and jump-started the development process that carries on today. Ever since then, Kenya’s Carbon emission has been increasing by 0.2 metric tonnes a year since independence. Still being influenced by her colonizers in my opinion.

How are the effects of climate change related with power imbalances among countries or within countries?

What you observe throughout the world is that populations living in urban areas tend to emit the most C02 emissions while populations living in rural areas have less CO2 emissions and are environmentally free. You may also realize that this is on a larger scale in the US or China compared to Kenya.

What you also realize is that these countries are developed and can fend for themselves while developing or undeveloped countries don’t .Developing countries the capacity to invest in renewable resources, and while that may not be the same for Kenya, there are measures to help countries like this, for example the Paris agreement that requires that countries that are developed invest in renewable energy overseas and also assist lacking countries with their renewable infrastructure  

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