By Anderson Ojwang

Kisumu, once a hotspot for entertainment in the country, is currently witnessing the collapse of the industry, occasioned by police harassment and bitter rivalries.

The constant police raids have created a negative environment for club and bar owners in the town and forced the majority to close down.

Coupled with business rivalry and negative energy among the business community, most businesses have been forced to close down and sack employees.

Last weekend’s police raid at Atella Beach Resort in Dunga, where a female reveller suffered a gun injury and was admitted to Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital, was one of such incidents that was impacting negatively on the entertainment industry in the city.

And now the business community and residents of Kisumu have protested against alleged police harassment and unwarranted raids that were killing the entertainment industry in the city.

The business community wants the police to remain neutral and should not be used to fuel business rivalry in the lake city.

In an open letter to the police, Human Rights Defender, Mr Audi Ogada, termed the raid on the facility as an act of thuggery and excessive police brutality.

“The action by police officers from Kisumu Central Police Station at ATELA BEACH RESORT DUNGA, where a lady was shot by police, demonstrates extreme arrogance, double standards and direct conflicts of interest,” he said.

Audi said the law allows police officers to discharge their functions and mandates in total compliance with the rule of law and utmost respect for human rights and freedoms.

“Police operations must always remain effective, efficient and transparent. Arbitrary arrests of innocent citizens and intimidation are detrimental to their lives, therefore unlawful,” he said.

He called on the National Police Service to review and reorganise their operation strategies without causing panic to the general public, citing evidence from the police shooting at Attela Beach Resort.

He said a section of revellers and Kisumu residents were tired of constant harassment by some senior police officers.

“We are all condemning the increase of crime and lawlessness as a matter of concern which must be addressed without further delay,” he said.

Equally, licensed business owners have complained of wanton harassment, which they said was impacting negatively on their businesses.

Police officers stormed Atella, a popular joint located on the shores of Lake Victoria, at 8 pm on Sunday and arrested those found smoking shisha.

However, commotion occurred as revellers attempted to stop the officers from conducting the raid.

During the melee, the officers fired live bullets and lobbed teargas canisters into the crowd, leading to the shooting. The woman was rushed to JOOTRH on a motorcycle as the officers sped away.

Officers from the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) have already visited the victim in hospital and recorded her statement.

Kisumu County Police Commander Hillary Toroitich said the matter was being investigated.

The operation was conducted by a team of officers from the Kenya Police Service (KPS), Administration Police Service (APS), Border Patrol Unit (BPU), the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), and the Kisumu County Liquor Licensing Team.

A reveller, John Otieno, blamed business rivalry as a major factor in the collapse of business in the city.

“Some of the business owners want to engage in unorthodox means to get rid of their competitors. We want positive competition and not negative energy,” he said.

Atella is one of the most popular joints in Kisumu, and its location attracts most revellers from Western Kenya, Nairobi, and the locals.

The facility has opened up the once sleepy Dunga into a vibrant and active business hub in the city.

By Habil Onyango

Under the Constitution of Kenya, county governments are primarily responsible for ensuring clean and sanitary towns.

These devolved functions are outlined in the Fourth Schedule and include solid waste management, public health, water and sanitation services, and the regulation of environmental nuisances.

County governments fulfil these mandates through core responsibilities such as solid waste management and refuse removal. This includes providing reliable garbage collection services and establishing, maintaining, and staffing approved refuse dumps and disposal sites.

They also enact local laws that require residents and businesses to separate recyclable waste, properly containerise their refuse, and prevent illegal dumping. Additionally, they must ensure that all public spaces, markets, and entertainment venues have access to adequate and safe water and proper sanitation infrastructure.

However, the business community and local stakeholders feel that the county government has failed to fulfil these mandates.

On Monday, a peaceful demonstration was held to express outrage over the lack of basic services, deteriorating security, and negligence by the county government.

The protesters called for the immediate resignation of key county officials whom they accuse of failing the municipality.

Led by the Oyugis CBD Vice Chairman Esau Owino, the demonstration highlighted critical grievances that are driving the community’s unrest.

The protesters condemned the deplorable state of sanitation in Oyugis Town, where main streets are neglected and back streets in areas such as Onanda, Thousand Street, Jua Kali, and Migingo have reportedly deteriorated due to uncollected garbage, poor waste management, and lack of toilets.

Furthermore, they expressed deep concern over a spike in targeted attacks, citing the recent assault on the organisation’s chairman, Edwin Okong’o, who was attacked by five armed men near his home and had his car stolen. He was rescued by family members after raising an alarm.

Okong’o has been an outspoken advocate for better hygiene standards, improved town management, reduced taxation, and the protection of traders.

“We are tired of living in constant vulnerability to thugs. The frequency and nature of recent attacks have reached unacceptable levels,” said Owino.

He also noted that despite the town being designated as a municipality, many areas are plunged into darkness at night.

“It is shameful and totally unacceptable that most parts of the town operate without a single functioning street light, which exacerbates the security crisis,” Owino added.

The business community has vowed to escalate their grievances if the county leadership fails to take immediate corrective action to restore security, clean up the town, and illuminate the municipality.

They have declared that they will not remit taxes to the county government until their grievances are addressed.

According to Odwar, a businessman in Oyugis, despite the deteriorating conditions for businesses, the county continues to impose high taxes and levies on hardworking entrepreneurs. Odwar also called on the police to conduct thorough investigations and ensure that those who attacked Okong’o are brought to justice.

“We demand a clean, conducive, and well-maintained business environment that supports local enterprises rather than stifles their growth before we will even consider paying taxes,” he stated.

“We will no longer remain silent in the face of these challenges. We call on the county government to address our grievances and improve the conditions under which we operate,” he concluded.

“Enough is enough. Our voices must be heard,” the protesters declared during the demonstration.

Why local communities must move from climate ideas to fundable resilience projects

Climate change is no longer a distant global discussion. It is now part of daily life for millions of people across Africa. Farmers are experiencing unpredictable rainfall. Schools are struggling with water shortages. Families are facing rising food prices. Roads, homes, farms, and public infrastructure are increasingly exposed to floods, droughts, heat, and other climate-related shocks.

For many communities, climate change is not just an environmental issue. It is an economic issue, a food security issue, a health issue, an education issue, and a development issue.

This is why adaptation finance is becoming one of the most important conversations in climate finance today.

Adaptation finance refers to funding that helps people, communities, institutions, and economies adjust to the impacts of climate change. It supports practical solutions such as water harvesting, climate-smart agriculture, drought-resistant crops, flood control, early warning systems, resilient infrastructure, ecosystem restoration, school gardens, agroforestry, clean energy systems, and livelihood diversification.

While mitigation finance focuses mainly on reducing greenhouse gas emissions, adaptation finance focuses on helping people survive, adjust, and build resilience against climate impacts that are already being felt.

For Africa, adaptation finance is not optional. It is urgent.

The real climate finance challenge

For many years, climate finance discussions have focused on big numbers. Global conferences have produced pledges, targets, commitments, and funding announcements. However, the experience at the local level often remains very different.

Many communities know the climate problems they face. They can describe failed rains, reduced harvests, water scarcity, livestock losses, floods, declining incomes, and damaged infrastructure. Many organisations also have good ideas on how to respond. Yet, these ideas often do not attract funding.

Why?

The problem is not always the absence of climate finance. Sometimes, the problem is lack of preparation.

Climate finance does not move simply because a community has a need. It moves when that need is translated into a clear, bankable, evidence-based, and measurable project.

A donor or investor will ask important questions. What climate risk is being addressed? Who is affected? What is the proposed solution? What evidence supports the project? How much will it cost? What results will be achieved? How will women, youth, and vulnerable groups benefit? How will impact be measured? How will the project continue after the funding period?

Many local organisations struggle at this point. They understand the problem, but they lack the technical support to package the problem into a strong climate finance proposal.

This is where Africa’s adaptation finance challenge becomes a project readiness challenge.

From climate ideas to bankable projects

A good climate idea is not the same as a fundable climate project.

For example, a school may say it needs support because learners are affected by water shortage. That is a genuine problem. But to attract adaptation finance, the idea must be developed further. It may need to become a climate-resilient school project with rainwater harvesting, storage tanks, school gardens, tree planting, solar-powered water pumping, learner climate clubs, and measurable indicators on water access, attendance, nutrition, and environmental learning.

A farmer group may say drought has reduced production. That is also valid. But a fundable project may need to show how climate-smart agriculture, drip irrigation, drought-tolerant crops, agroforestry, soil conservation, digital advisory services, and market linkages will increase resilience and income.

A county government may say communities are vulnerable to climate shocks. But funders may require a pipeline of well-designed projects, each with clear objectives, target beneficiaries, budgets, risk analysis, safeguards, and measurable outcomes.

This means Africa must move beyond general climate concern. The continent must build strong pipelines of adaptation-ready projects.

Why adaptation finance matters for Kenya

Kenya is already experiencing the effects of climate change in many sectors. Agriculture, water, health, education, transport, energy, and livelihoods are all exposed to climate risk. Rural communities, women, youth, pastoralists, farmers, informal workers, and low-income households are often among the most affected.

Adaptation finance can help Kenya respond more effectively.

It can support farmers to adopt climate-smart practices. It can help schools harvest and store water. It can support communities to restore degraded land. It can help counties strengthen early warning systems. It can finance resilient roads, water systems, clean energy, and community-based adaptation initiatives.

But Kenya’s success in accessing adaptation finance will depend on preparedness.

Institutions must understand what funders are looking for. They must collect evidence. They must design strong projects. They must prepare realistic budgets. They must build partnerships. They must show how their projects will deliver measurable resilience.

In the emerging climate finance landscape, preparation is becoming the new currency.

The role of climate funding intelligence

Climate finance is becoming more competitive. Funders are more specific. They want projects that are practical, bankable, gender-responsive, youth-inclusive, evidence-based, and measurable.

This is why climate funding intelligence is now critical.

Climate funding intelligence means knowing where climate finance opportunities are, what donors are currently prioritising, which funding windows are open, what eligibility requirements apply, what documents are needed, what partnerships are strategic, and how to position an organisation before a call for proposals closes.

Many organisations only begin preparing when they see a funding call. By then, it may already be too late. A strong climate finance strategy requires continuous preparation. Organisations should already have concept notes, project data, community evidence, budgets, partner profiles, monitoring frameworks, and institutional documents ready before opportunities arise.

This is especially important for local NGOs, community-based organisations, schools, youth groups, farmer groups, women-led organisations, and county-level institutions. Climate funding intelligence helps organisations move faster, respond better, and compete more effectively.

Adaptation finance must reach local communities

One of the biggest concerns in climate finance is that too much money and decision-making remain far from the communities most affected by climate change.

Climate change is experienced locally. It affects farms, homes, schools, water points, markets, roads, and livelihoods. Therefore, adaptation finance must also reach the local level.

Local actors understand climate impacts in practical ways. Farmers understand changing seasons. Women understand water stress at household level. Teachers understand how drought and hunger affect learning. Youth understand the pressure of unemployment in climate-stressed communities. County governments understand local infrastructure and service delivery risks. However, local knowledge alone is not enough. It must be combined with strong project design, financial planning, monitoring systems, and accountability structures. This is where technical support becomes essential.

Local institutions need help to conduct climate risk analysis, develop concept notes, prepare proposals, create budgets, design monitoring and evaluation systems, and communicate impact in a language that funders understand. When local knowledge meets technical preparation, adaptation finance becomes more accessible.

Measurement is now central

Adaptation finance must also prove results. In climate mitigation, it is often easier to measure success through emissions reduced or avoided. In adaptation, measurement can be more complex. Results may include improved water security, reduced crop losses, stronger livelihoods, better preparedness, reduced vulnerability, improved school attendance, or stronger community resilience.

These outcomes are real, but they must be measured properly. A strong adaptation project should be able to answer: What changed because of the intervention? Were households more resilient? Did farmers reduce losses? Did schools improve water access? Did women save time? Did youth gain green skills or income opportunities? Did communities respond better to climate shocks?

Without measurement, it becomes difficult to justify adaptation finance. With strong evidence, it becomes easier to attract funding, scale projects, and influence policy. This is why monitoring, evaluation, accountability, and learning should not be treated as an afterthought. They should be built into climate projects from the beginning.

The opportunity for Agenda Beyond Borders

At Agenda Beyond Borders, we believe Africa’s climate finance future will depend on readiness, evidence, and local impact. Our work focuses on helping organisations move from climate ideas to climate funding readiness. This includes climate funding intelligence, donor opportunity scanning, concept note development, proposal writing, budgeting, monitoring and evaluation systems, partnership positioning, and impact documentation.

Through this approach, local organisations can become better prepared to access adaptation finance and other climate funding opportunities. The future of climate finance will not only belong to those who talk about climate change. It will belong to those who can design practical solutions, prove community need, build credible budgets, measure resilience, and show funders that their projects can deliver real impact.

Conclusion

Adaptation finance is Africa’s next big climate opportunity. But this opportunity will not be accessed through ideas alone. It will require preparation, evidence, partnerships, technical capacity, and strong project pipelines.

For Kenya and Africa, the message is clear. Climate finance is available, but competition is increasing. Funders are looking for projects that are bankable, measurable, inclusive, and locally grounded.

Communities are already adapting in many ways. The next step is to help them access the finance needed to scale those solutions. Africa must not only demand adaptation finance. Africa must prepare for it. Adaptation finance is the next frontier. Project readiness will determine who benefits.

About the Author

Simon Okola is a project finance and climate finance practitioner, educator, and Founder of Agenda Beyond Borders, a Kenyan-based organisation supporting climate action, youth empowerment, digital skills, project advisory, monitoring and evaluation, and sustainable development solutions.

Agenda Beyond Borders helps organisations move from ideas to funding readiness through climate funding intelligence, proposal development, MEAL systems, and impact-focused project design.

Website: www.agendabeyondborders.org
Email: agendabeyondborders@gmail.com
WhatsApp: +254736733500