The Kenyan government has defended its decision to grant the Global Center on Adaptation (GCA) official privileges and immunities, stating that the process followed all legal and parliamentary procedures and was not influenced by external pressure.
In a statement dated October 11, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the conferment of privileges to GCA, which recently finalized a Host Country Agreement (HCA) with Kenya, was “a rigorous and transparent process undertaken by all relevant organs of government and ratified by Parliament.”
Principal Secretary for Foreign Affairs Dr. A. Korir Sing’oei said the privileges granted to GCA are “not special” and are consistent with those accorded to over 170 international and non-state entities operating in Kenya since 1984, including Oxfam, Save the Children, and the World Wide Fund for Nature.
“The imputation that the HCA was granted as a result of external political pressure is without any foundation,” Dr. Sing’oei said.
Ksh 2.7 Trillion Climate Projects
The government’s clarification comes as GCA, an international non-profit based in Rotterdam and Nairobi, faces scrutiny following allegations from Dutch public broadcaster NOS that it exaggerated its impact and donor reporting.
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GCA has strongly denied the claims, saying its reporting is independently verified and adheres to international standards.
“The suggestion that GCA exaggerates results or misleads donors is false and unfounded,” the organization said earlier this week, noting that its methodology is independently evaluated, including by the Boston Consulting Group.
The GCA said it has mobilized more than $20 billion in climate adaptation projects over the past five years, largely through the Africa Adaptation Acceleration Program (AAAP), co-led with the African Development Bank and the African Union Commission.
The initiative operates in over 40 African countries and has benefited more than 100 million people.
GCA Relationship with Kenya
According to the government brief, GCA began implementing programs in Kenya in 2021, committing over €3 million to projects supporting food security, infrastructure resilience, and nature-based solutions.
The Foreign Affairs Ministry said this record qualified GCA for privileges under the Privileges and Immunities Act (Cap 179), which allows such status for internationally recognized foundations providing technical assistance.
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The agreement was signed in February 2025 by the Prime Cabinet Secretary and the Cabinet Secretary for Foreign Affairs. Legal notice No. 82 was issued in April 2025, granting tax and operational privileges to the organization. Parliamentary approval followed in September 2025, after a Select Committee on Environment, Forestry, and Mining endorsed the deal.
GCA’s Nairobi office serves as its African headquarters, complementing its Rotterdam base. It is the first global climate organization of its kind to be headquartered in both the Global North and South.
The Government of the Netherlands continues to fund GCA, although talks on financing beyond 2026 are ongoing amid broader reductions in global climate budgets.
“The partnership between Kenya and the GCA positions Nairobi as a leading hub for climate adaptation in Africa,” Dr. Sing’oei said. “This collaboration will help mobilize resources and expertise toward building a more resilient continent.”
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