MSc thesis defence Vera Worner: The Role of Civil Society Organizations regarding Climate Change Policy in Kenya

You are hereby invited to the MSc thesis presentation by Vera Worner on 'The Role of Civil Society Organizations regarding Climate Change Policy in Kenya'.

Supervisor: Sylvia Karlsson - Vinkhuyzen
Examinor: Margit van Wessel
Date: 20 February 2024
Time: 14.00 – 15.00
Hybrid meeting: room 1011, Leeuwenborch; MS Teams link: Click here to join the meeting

Abstract
This research investigates the role of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) regarding climate change policy in Kenya. Among developing countries, Kenya has been recognized as a front runner in climate change policy. Following the notion that CSOs may play a part in holding government actors accountable to international agreements, this research uses a theoretical framework conceptualizing public accountability, roles of CSOs, relations to other actors and the use of international agreements to explore how CSOs with various backgrounds, engage in climate change policy at the national and sub-national (county) level. The research employs a qualitative methodology using document reviews and semi-structured interviews with twenty respondents. The findings of this research suggest that while CSOs play an important role regarding climate change policy in Kenya, their engagement must be understood as being very complex. Not only are the roles (monitoring, advocacy, service provision and account holding) through which they engage in climate change policy interconnected, but these roles are also influenced by the relations the CSOs have to other actors. Therefore, before we can suggest that CSOs may hold government actors accountable to international climate change agreements at the national level, we must first acknowledge the complexity of CSOs engaging in climate change policy at the national level.