Tight security and zero street families: How Africa Climate Summit went down

Themed “Driving Green Growth and Climate Finance Solutions for Africa and the World” the Africa Climate Summit (ACS23) ended on September 6 by adopting the “Nairobi Declaration.” The declaration reached by member states called for de-carbonization and an equitable multilateral finance architecture as the world rises to battle Climate Change effects.

However, the public never got the chance to see a behind-the-scenes view of the summit which contributed greatly to its smooth running.

Every day of the three days that the ACS23 was in session, there was the morning ritual of the arrival of President William Ruto accompanied by local leaders and a legion of international leaders and delegates. The first roll of honor was the Kenya National Anthem as well as the AU anthem. At hand to perform the national anthem was the presidential music band from the Kenya Police.

Thereafter, there were the talented artistic troupes performing song and dance on neatly laid out turf carpets to welcome and entertain the leaders. It is only then that the dignitaries left to attend to their day’s activities within the precincts of Kenya at the Kenyatta International Conference Center (KICC).

What many did not know is that this year's UN Africa Climate Week also took place from 4-8 September 2023 in Nairobi, hosted by the government of Kenya.  ACW 2023 was organized in parallel with the Africa Climate Summit on 4-6 September 2023, also hosted in Nairobi. There were a lot of cross cutting events with the more glamorous Africa Climate Summit (ACS23) drawing the crowds and prominence.

During the ACW23, many organizations working within the wider scope of environmental conservation and financing delivered papers and were subject to questioning from the audience. Unlike the hyped ACS23, the ACW23 went on until Friday, two days after the ACS23 had ended.

That there was an exhibition by International finance firms, many NGO’s local and international at the KICC facility grounds was not known to many people too. A lot of NGO’s within the bio-ecological conservation and climate mitigation financing were represented.

Strangely represented among these many NGO’s was the stall by Homa Bay County, which might have been the only county with a stall during the ACS23. Many NGO’s took the space to advertise and market their core services and products with many doing brisk business.

However, there was any notice of academic institutions save for some students from Strathmore University who were embedded close the media center. All the products and services had something to do with clean bio-ecological products and financing of the same. Not even the big multilateral lenders missed out as they were adequately represented.

A keen observer would notice nothing had been left to chance when it came to security. Not only were hotels hosting the dignitaries provided with extra armed security but also the city and specifically the area surrounding the venue. The city had been cleared of the usual presence of street families and according to an insider, the closest they could approach the city was at Globe roundabout on the northern edge of the CBD.

KICC had the presence of very many security units, from the regular police manning roadblocks within and without the facility. At the gates within and without were the National Youth Service officers who not only shadowed the regular police units at all manned gates but also worked in tandem with the African Union Security team who manned doors leading to various meeting rooms within KICC.

Particular units, presumably from the anti-terror police units in full combat regalia were roaming the corridors and grounds of KICC just in case their expertise was needed or to deter potential threats. Signs were all over that KICC was under full CCTV surveillance and indeed the high level of safety was seen and felt by all.

There were also breakout tents where experts would take the ideas on the main floor of the plenary hall to further break them down. Many meeting rooms, such as Lenana, Aberdares and Taifa plenary halls among others including in the tented area were key in the break out symposiums by experts and stakeholders within the climate change discourse.

KICC did not disappoint, the renown international conference was at its top element… all together, a facility fit to hold such a high level gathering which included no less than 14 presidents and numerous heads of international bodies and institutions. The facility was gleaming and dazzling with its water fountains in full blast and not a speck in dirt anywhere. Its offered very clean corridors, very clean meeting rooms, freshly laid out carpets stretching through the corridors and onto the stairways, sparkling toilets, top notch VIP lounges and many catering units enough to accommodate all the visitors at the venue. With workers buzzing all round the clock to ensure everything was running, KICC did not disappoint.

Very many media teams from big corporations and international institutions were at hand to cover the event apart from the local and international and local media houses. KICC had a designated media center which accommodated most of these teams. There was one local media partner for the event, which televised all the major speeches throughout the day.

There were very many nationalities from all over the world in attendance either as delegates, media personnel, foreign government officials or as officials of the Africa Union (AU) or other related local and international civil authorities, such as the various organs of the United Nations. This made the KICC probably the location, internationally, with most varied nationalities per square kilometer than any other for the three days the ACS23 lasted.

As the curtains came to a close on the ACS23, many felt being the inaugural summit it had achieved much as it emphasized the need to abolish all fossil fuel subsidies and operationalize the Loss and Damage facility, an agreement reached at COP27.

However, its critics maintained that it remained a talking shop just like its precursors in times gone by as nothing concrete was agreed upon. This was the last major event before the UN Climate change conference, the COP28, to be held in Dubai City between November 30 to December 12, 2023, where the Nairobi Declaration will contribute as Africa’s voice to the world concerning climate change in Africa.