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Neville Ng'ambwa wrote a new post

Tue, 06 Oct 2026 15:08:58 +0300

Kenya Signs MoU for KES 390 Billion in Electric Mobility Kenya has signed a memorandum of understanding for a proposed KES 390 billion electric-vehicle manufacturing and green-mobility programme. The proposal, involving the Government and Endelevu Enterprise Corporation, envisages an integrated electric mobility system that includes an assembly facility with an annual capacity of 50,000 four-wheel vehicles, another facility capable of producing up to 100,000 two-wheelers and light mobility vehicles, 1,000 solar-powered charging hubs and a digital platform designed to support up to 100,000 vehicles. If implemented at the proposed scale, the programme would seek to move part of Kenya’s transport system from imported vehicles and petroleum products towards locally assembled electric vehicles powered increasingly by domestic electricity. President William Ruto [center] with Lee Kinyanjui CS Investments Trade and Industry of Kenya [on his left], Abubakar Hassan PS Investment Promotion [Far left], Mr Susong Tong of Endelevu Enterprise Corporation with his team [ right of president] at Statehouse led by at Statehouse Nairobi. | Photo courtesy of State House President William Ruto, who witnessed the signing on October 6, framed the proposal around reducing Kenya’s dependence on imported transport fuels and vehicles. The Ministry of Transport estimates that the country spends about KES 650 billion a year on petroleum imports. Electrification of transport could therefore reduce demand for petrol and diesel and make the transport sector less exposed to international oil prices. The extent of those benefits, however, depends on how quickly electric vehicles are adopted, the cost of vehicles, the availability of charging infrastructure, reliability and affordability of electricity. Susong Tong, the Chairperson of Endelevu Enterprise Corporation signing MOU with Abubakar Hassan Abubakar, Kenya’s PS Investment Promotion at State House, Nairobi | Photo Courtesy Statehouse The proposed manufacturing component also gives the MoU an industrial-policy dimension, as local assembly could create demand for manufacturing, engineering, maintenance, software and other services around electric mobility. The MOU comes only days after President Ruto and Dangote Group founder Aliko Dangote broke ground on a proposed KES 2 trillion refinery in Lamu, designed to process up to 700,000 barrels of crude oil a day. The two projects present different environmental challenges: a large refinery requires stringent controls on emissions, waste, water, and marine impacts, while electric vehicle manufacturing and battery supply chains would create their own environmental requirements, including responsible management of batteries andContinue Reading

Pauline Ongaji wrote a new post

Mon, 05 Oct 2026 09:08:39 +0300

Extreme Heat Is Making Pregnancy More Dangerous EContinue Reading

Correspondent wrote a new post

Mon, 05 Oct 2026 08:08:47 +0300

Community-Led Project Restores 68 Hectares Of Dundori Forest By Daniel Kipchumba A three-year community-led restoration project has rehabilitated 68 hectares of Dundori Forest, an area damaged by illegal logging, and helped local residents earn income from conservation activities. The project, which began in 2023, was handed over to the Kenya Forest Service (KFS) in a ceremony that brought together the Green Belt Movement, community forest associations, KFS, Nakuru County officials, the Agence Française de Développement (AFD) and the French ambassador to Kenya. Community members played a central role in the work, producing seedlings in local nurseries and planting them in the forest. Nyaguthii Chege of the Green Belt Movement said this involvement had helped build a sense of ownership among residents. The project also created a source of income for participating households. Fifteen nursery groups in Dundori earned hundreds of thousands of shillings over the past three years through their work supplying seedlings. Fruit trees distributed through the initiative are expected to provide further income while supporting conservation. AnnGael Chapuis the county director Agence Française de Développement (AFD), during the handover of restored forest section by the community to Kenya Forest service. | Photo by Daniel Kipchumba Ann Gael Chapuis, AFD’s country director, said linking conservation with livelihoods was essential to the project’s long-term impact. “A very key component of this project is to ensure that the communities continue to see their wealth growing through income-generating activities,” she said, adding that such opportunities can help reduce illegal forest activities associated with poverty. The Dundori initiative is the second phase of a €2.6 million project that has supported the livelihoods of 1,000 households and contributed to the planting of thousands of trees. Boniface Mulwa, Head of Natural Forest Management at Kenya Forest Service (KFS) speaking deep inside Dundori forest section where it was resrored through community efforts. | Photo By Daniel Kipchumba Boniface Muluwa, the KFS head of natural forest management, said KFS was expanding tree nurseries to increase seedling supply and strengthen the forestry value chain. “We can only wish that such partnerships will continue so that we can even bridge gaps in technology, expertise and resources in managing our forests,” Muluwa said. Wadid Bernabou the French ambassador to Kenya adressing journalist during at the community tree nursery that has consistently supplied trees seeedlings to restore Dundori forest. | Photo by Daniel Kipchumba French ambassador Wadid Bernaabou said the partnership between France, AFD, the Green Belt Movement, KFS and Nakuru County had combined forest restoration with support for livelihoods and food security. He said the community’s participation offered encouragement as Kenya works toward its tree-groContinue Reading

Neville Ng'ambwa wrote a new post

Fri, 02 Oct 2026 07:41:10 +0300

Kenya Heads into a Wetter Season as Heavy Rains Raise Flood Risk Kenya is entering the October–December short-rains season with forecasts pointing to above-average rainfall across much of the country, raising the prospect of improved water availability and agricultural conditions but also heightened risks of flooding, landslides, waterlogging and disruption of transport and other economic activities. The Kenya Meteorological Service Authority (KMSA) outlook for October-November-December shows the season is likely to be characterised by prolonged wet spells as well as episodes of heavy rainfall. The authority says some areas began receiving rainfall in September, while most parts of the country are expected to experience the onset of the short rains between the second and fourth weeks of October. The KMSA attributes the enhanced rainfall outlook to the evolving El Niño and Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) conditions, warning that the wetter conditions may extend into early 2027. It also forecast warmer-than-average temperatures, particularly in parts of the Coast and northeastern Kenya. The latest outlook forecast above-average rainfall across much of Kenya in October 2026, with higher probabilities in Kwale, Mombasa, Kilifi, Lamu and Mandera, as well as parts of Taita Taveta, Tana River, Garissa and Wajir counties. According to the Kenya Meteorological Service Authority outlook for October-November-December, above-average rainfall is also expected in Makueni, Kajiado, Machakos, Nairobi, Kiambu, Murang’a, Kirinyaga, Embu, Tharaka-Nithi, Meru, Isiolo, Nyandarua and Nyeri, and parts of Taita Taveta, Tana River, Garissa, Wajir, Marsabit, Laikipia, Nakuru and Narok. Near-average to above-average rainfall is expected in Baringo, Bomet, Bungoma, Busia, Elgeyo Marakwet, Homa Bay, Kakamega, Kericho, Kisii, Kisumu, Migori, Nandi, Nyamira, Samburu, Siaya, Trans Nzoia, Turkana, Uasin Gishu, Vihiga and West Pokot, as well as parts of Narok, Nakuru and Laikipia. The Kenya Meteorological Service Authority’s outlook for October-November-December attributes the wetter conditions to a very strong El Niño and an expected positive Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD). According to the authority, the timing of the rains will vary by region. In Nandi, Kakamega, Vihiga, Bungoma, Siaya, Busia, Baringo, Nakuru, Trans Nzoia, Uasin Gishu, Elgeyo Marakwet, West Pokot, Kisii, Nyamira, Kericho, Bomet, Kisumu, Homa Bay, Migori and Narok, rainfall is already underway and is expected to continue into January 2027. In Nyandarua, Laikipia, Nyeri, Kirinyaga, Murang’a, Kiambu, Meru, Embu, Tharaka-Nithi, Nairobi, Machakos, Kitui, Makueni, Kajiado, Taita Taveta and inland parts of Tana River, the onset is expected in the second or third week of October, with rains continuing into January. In Mombasa, Kwale, Lamu, Kilifi and the Tana Delta, rainfall will continue from September and is expected to cease in the first or second week of December. Turkana, Samburu, Marsabit, Mandera, Wajir, Garissa and Isiolo are expected to receive the onset in the third or fourth week of October, with cessation in the first to second week of December. According to the outlook, while the rains are expected to improve food production, heavier rainfall in some areas could cause waterlogging, delay farm work, increase crop diseases and make it harder to transport produce. Heavy rainfall could also disrupt transport through flooding, waterlogging and erosion affecting roads and bridges. Rural access roads may become impassable after sustained rain, while overwhelmed drainage systems could cause traffic disruption in urban areas. Stagnant water may create breeding grounds for mosquitoes, potentially increasing malaria transmission in susceptible areas. Flooding and poor drainage could also raise the risk of water-borne diseases where sanitation and water quality are compromised. The outlook points to a higher likelihood of flash floods, riverine flooding, landslides and localized infrastructure damage. Low-lying coastal areas, flood-prone river basins, poorly drained urban centres and steep highland areas are among the locations identified as particularly vulnerable. Rainfall is also expected to replenish rivers, dams, water pans and groundwater, improving supplies for domestic, agricultural and industrial use. The gains could be significant in arid and semi-arid areas recovering from the dry season, although intense rain may produce heavy runoff and localized flooding in catchments with inContinue Reading

Dan Kaburu wrote a new post

Fri, 02 Oct 2026 07:19:21 +0300

Kenya Unveils New Environment Policy to Drive Green Growth and Climate Resilience Kenya has unveiled the first draft of a new National Environment Policy that seeks to strengthen environmental governance, address growing climate risks and position the environment sector as a driver of economic growth. Principal Secretary for Environment and Climate Change Dr. Eng. Festus Ng’eno launched the draft on October 1, 2026, in Nairobi, urging Kenyans to actively participate in shaping the policy before its final adoption. Ng’eno said the review was necessary because the existing policy, developed 13 years ago, had been overtaken by major changes in Kenya’s environmental and climate landscape. “When this country last wrote its Environment Policy, County Governments had barely begun to exist, there was no Paris Agreement, Climate Change Act, legal framework on carbon markets and Sustainable Waste Management Act,” he said. The draft seeks to align environmental governance with the Constitution while strengthening cooperation between the national government and the counties. It also addresses emerging challenges including climate-driven changes such as rising lakes in the Rift Valley, waste management, environmental data, artificial intelligence, nature-based solutions and the rights of nature. The policy supports Kenya’s commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 35 per cent by 2035 and increase the proportion of land under protection from the current 14 per cent to 30 per cent. Ng’eno said environmental protection must remain central to Kenya’s development beyond Vision 2030, noting that agriculture, manufacturing, tourism and cities all depend on healthy ecosystems. UNDP Resident Representative in Kenya Jean-Luc Stalon described it as a framework for determining how Kenya grows its economy, manages natural resources and builds resilience. Stalon warned that climate change was already carrying a heavy economic cost, with climate variability estimated to cost Kenya between three and five per cent of its GDP every year. “Without sustained action,” he said, “climate change could reduce real GDP by up to 7.25 per cent by 2050 and push an additional 1.1 million people into poverty.” He said Kenya must not view environmental protection and economic development as competing priorities. “The challenge, therefore, is not choosing between development and the environment, but ensuring that one sustains the other.” Principal Secretary for Environment and Climate Change Dr. Eng. Festus Ng’en with UNDP Resident Representative in Kenya Jean-Luc Stalon at the unveiling of National Environment Policy in Nairobi Kenya. | Photo Dan Kaburu Stalon said there was need for the policy to strengthen the role of counties and communities in developing environmental solutions while maintaining national coordination, adding that to turn the environmental transition into an economic opportunity. The draft policy will now undergo stakeholder and public participation before validation and finalisation. The Ministry aims to complete the review by December 12, 2026. Ng’eno urged Kenyans to take part in the process, saying the policy must carry the voices of the people it is intended to serve. One of the significant developments in the policy review is the greater attention being given to climate finance and carbon markets. It also reflects the growing importance of the circular economy, including waste management, resource efficiency and plastics. Biodiversity and natural-resource management are another major component of the review with the aim of addressing forests, wetlands, land degradation, biodiversity and other ecosystems alongside emerging areas such as the blue economy and nature-based solutions. This widens the scope of environmental policy beyond pollution control. Devolution is another fundamental change that the new policy seeks to accommodate. The 2013 policy was developed before Kenya’s devolved system had matured. Under the revie draft, environmental functions are now distributed across national and county institutions, creating a need for clearer coordination and responsibilities. This is expected to strengthen the integration of environmental considerations into both national and county development planning. The review has also brought several newer environmental questions into the policy discussion. These include loss and damage, just transition, nature-based solutions, environmental data governance, artificial intelligence, rights of nature and ecocide, alongside carbon markets and climate finance. Their inclusion reflects the rapid expansion of environmental policy since 2013. The review further addresses environmental data and artificial intelligence (AI), pointing to a changing environmental-governance environment in which satellite information, early-warning systems, digital reporting and other technologies are becoming increasingly important. Another fundamental change in the review is the attempt to make environmental considerations part of development decisions rather than treating environmental managemeContinue Reading

Correspondent wrote a new post

Wed, 30 Sep 2026 14:23:09 +0300

Bondo Nuclear Plant Faces Court Challenge Over Lake Victoria Risks By Elodie Toto A case has been filed at the East African Court of Justice (EACJ) over the Kenyan government’s plan to build a 2,000-5,000-megawatt nuclear power plant in Bondo, near the eastern shore of Victoria Lake, Africa’s largest freshwater lake. The project has been the source of numerous protests from residents since it was announced. “I filed a reference at the East African Court of Justice on September 23 on two grounds,” human rights lawyer Dickens Ochieng told Mongabay. “First, I want the court to determine if we should even have that nuclear power plant in Lake Victoria given the ecological and environmental risk that may be associated with it,” Ochieng said. “Then, I am asking for the project to have a trans-boundary environmental impact assessment, as Victoria Lake is not only a Kenyan matter.” The case puts fresh focus on a 2023 Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) prepared for Kenya’s nuclear power programme. The report’s site analysis ranked four candidate locations in the Lake Victoria region, but its later sensitivity analysis concluded that candidate sites in the region could be exposed to hazards associated with Quaternary volcanoes, including ash fall and volcanic tsunamis. The assessment team recommended avoiding the Lake Victoria and Lake Turkana regions because those hazards could impair the safety of a nuclear power plant. The SEA also identifies potential transboundary concerns that connect to that request. These include radioactive exposure across borders, contamination of shared waters, effects on migratory species, regional insecurity and possible disputes involving water transfers in the Nile Basin. The lake is shared by Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania with roughly 40 million people across the three countries depending on the lake for their livelihoods, food security and drinking water. Millions more depend on the river that drains from Lake Victoria and meanders north to empty into Egypt’s Nile Delta and the Mediterranean Sea. If the lake and river were to become polluted, the 11 countries of the Nile Basin could be affected. The shores of Lake Victoria | Photo Mongabay “I want to know if these countries have been consulted and, if so, if they agree with the project. If not, maybe they should be consulted first,” Ochieng said. He said it’s also an issue of national security. “We have seen nuclear power plants being targeted in Ukraine, in Iran. Here, we have issues with Al-Shabaab who keep attacking facilities in Kenya. I want the court to determine if putting up a nuclear power plant in Victoria Lake is a regional security issue.” According to the official petition, the law firm also accuses the Kenyan government of failing to properly consult local communities in Kenya and failing to propose mitigation measures for the Lake Victoria basin. The Kenyan government has 45 days to respond. The SEA report recommended further work on safeguards and public engagement. Among its priorities were a radioactive-waste policy and spent-fuel management strategy; environmental and social impact assessment guidelines for nuclear projects; guidance for consulting project-affected people; a public-participation and consultation manual; improved agency capacity and coordination; and emergency-response arrangements for nuclear incidents. Those recommendations may inform the court’s consideration of whether the project’s environmental safeguards and consultation process are adequate. Mongabay contacted the Lake Victoria Basin Commission, which coordinates sustainable development for the basin, and Kenya’s attorney general, but did not receive a response by the time of publication. Republished from Mongabay: https://news.mongabay.com/short-artic Continue Reading

Correspondent wrote a new post

Wed, 30 Sep 2026 13:46:39 +0300

Elephants May Be Using Herbal Medicines When Sick, Study Finds By Leopold Obi Researchers have found that African elephants in Mt. Elgon in western Kenya appear to select particular plants when they are unwell, while elephant mothers have been observed administering plant material to their sick or vulnerable calves, according to new research published in Scientific Reports. The findings offer intriguing clues that the elephants may use plants in ways that resemble medicinal treatment, a behaviour scientists describe as putative self-medication. But how and where they learnt the unusual habit is yet to be established. Fabien Schultz, the lead author of the study, said the findings reveal how closely the elephants’ lives may be intertwined with the plants around them, hence the need for habitat protection. The researchers documented 35 plant species and four types of soils, minerals or clays that local experts reported elephants consuming. Of the 34 plant species that the experts identified as having traditional medicinal uses to people, 25 were perceived by the experts as having a medicinal function for elephants. Eight plants showed particularly strong behavioural indications of possible medicinal use, according to the researchers. Local experts linked some of the plants to elephants that appeared sick or vulnerable, while others were associated with mothers administering plant material to their offspring. Mt. Elgon elephants are not new to unusual behaviours as they are already renowned for entering caves and using their tusks to mine mineral-rich rock. The observations are particularly significant because they draw on the knowledge of eight local Sabaot experts who have decades of experience observing elephants and the plants in their habitat. But while the researchers caution the findings do not necessarily prove the plants have a therapeutic effect on elephants, they provide a basis for further study into whether the plants contain compounds with therapeutic properties and whether elephants deliberately seek them out when they are sick. “In the coming years, together with our partners, we want to investigate whether and how these behaviours are learned or socially transmitted, and which plants and locations may be particularly important to protect.” said Dr. Schultz, a zoopharmacognosist leContinue Reading

Correspondent wrote a new post

Tue, 29 Sep 2026 08:26:13 +0300

Divisi Brings Location-Based Farm Advice to African Farmers By Lerato Pooe Growing up in Dema, Zimbabwe, Isaac Chikutukutu watched his parents combine full-time jobs with farming. What stayed with him was how dramatically the results from the same field could change from one season to the next. “It used to bother me that one year we would have such a bumper harvest that we ran out of storage, but the next year, on the same field, we would get nothing at all,” he said. That experience led the software developer and technology entrepreneur, who studied Business Studies and Computer Science at the University of Zimbabwe before pursuing postgraduate studies in Development Finance at Stellenbosch University, to build Divisi, a platform that gives small-scale farmers advice based on the location and conditions of their farms. What began as a WhatsApp chatbot was released publicly in early August 2026. By early September, Chikutukutu told bird it had more almost 1,000 users. The adoption has been cross-border. According to usage data Chikutukutu consulted during an interview, the platform’s five leading markets over the preceding 28 days were Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, Malawi and Uganda. Zimbabwe, where most of the development focus group was based, was outside the top five. “Number one is Kenya, number two is Nigeria, number three is South Africa, then Malawi and Uganda,” he said. “I thought Zimbabwe was going to be on top, but it’s not.” People in Kenya and Tanzania had begun finding and installing the app before its formal launch. “I was seeing people from East Africa already picking it up before we even started saying, ‘This is out for everyone,’” Chikutukutu said. To recommend crops and guide farmers on production, Divisi uses information about a farmer’s specific location. Chikutukutu says the system is based on the FAO (UN Food and Agriculture Organisation) Global Agro-Ecological Zoning framework, combined with Harvard data sources. “We have about 30 years of climate data going back to 1996, and we use the climate variables, the minimum temperatures, maximum temperatures, rainfall and so forth, and then we match that against the crop profiles”, he says. Isaac Chikutukutu (left) posing for a picture with friends |. Photo: Isaac Chikutukutu, bird story agency Chikutukutu ensures the app’s recommendations are not generated by AI but uses a deterministic system. Once a farmer has set the app on their field, Divisi can also provide customised advice for each season. “The advice is not AI, the engine is a fully deterministic, and it can be audited to actually so we can interrogate why did you tell this farmer to grow these crops at this time,” he says. A key part of the app’s design is that it does not require internet connection to function. Farmers need internet for initial set up and can use the app’s features offline but synchronises with the server when connected to the internet. Some of the features that farmers can access offline include farm records, diary and ledger entries, recording crop sales, and receiving notifications on farm guides. “Most farmers are in rural areas, and sometimes the network might be a challenge,” he said. “Offline, you can access the entire farm diary [and] record everything that’s happening. When it goes online, it just synchronises with the server.” Chikutukutu says the app is not meant to replace experts or extension officers, but to multiply the impact that they’re already making and make their job easier. He acknowledges that because the app is still new, there hasn’t been enough time to evaluate whether it has improved farmers’ yields. The app is free to farmers. Chikutukutu abandoned an earlier plan for a paid version because payment systems and access to financial services differ across the continent. “Putting up a paywall would disadvantage the people who need the app the most,” he said. The company instead plans to charge contracting companies, agricultural dealers and other organisations that benefit when farmers produce consistent yields and quality. Divisi’s development is still an ongoing process based on feedback such as requests to add a chat section where farmers can connect with agronomists remotely. Chikutukutu’s mother, Basi Tsiga, was the platform’s first user. She has farmed for about 20 years on two acres in Dema, Zimbabwe, growing maize and vegetables. Before trying the app, she relied largely on neighbouring farmers and agricultural consultants. Isaac Chikutukutu (left) posing for a picture with friends. | Photo: Isaac Chikutukutu, bird story agency “When Isaac asked me to try it, I was initially sceptical,” she said. “I thought, ‘Let’s see how a phone can help me,’ because I was tired of constantly travelling to find extension officers.” Tsiga began using the platform to decide what to plant according to the season and weather. She expanded into beetroot, strawberries and mooli, a long white radish. Chikutukutu said the app recommended mooli because its planting window was open after those for crops the family had initially considered had passed. Tsiga says she has also diversified into fish farming and raising free-range chickens, and hired an assistant. Digital agriculture researcher Dr Farai Alice Gwelo of the University of Johannesburg said developers must recognise that small-scale farmers are not a uniform group. Their experience, crops, resources, connectivity and access to expert support differ widely. “Involving the farmers is so important because they’ll let you know exactly what they need,” she said. “Farmers understand their own situation better than anyone else ever can.” The article has been republished from Bird Story Agency: https://agency.birdstoryagency.com/stories/this-african-built-app-gives Continue Reading

Big3Africa Desk wrote a new post

Thu, 24 Sep 2026 09:24:31 +0300

Kenya’s EV Transition Opens New Opportunities for Women By Seth Onyango As Kenya’s green-energy transition gains momentum, Irene Wali is moving to ensure women are not left behind. From her Chixz Auto Garage and Services in Kilifi, Wali is training young women to repair vehicles, service electric motorcycles, diagnose battery faults and work with solar systems. Her goal is to position women for the jobs, businesses and leadership opportunities emerging as Kenya shifts towards cleaner transport. For years, garages have been seen as male territory. Wali’s workshop is challenging that image and offering a practical answer to a larger question facing Kenya’s energy transition on who will benefit from the new green economy. Electric motorcycles, tuk-tuks and vehicles are becoming more common across the country, particularly in towns and peri-urban areas where boda bodas are central to daily life and commerce. Yet the number of people with skills to repair and maintain them remains limited, especially outside the major cities. Wali sees that shortage as an opening for women. “Our focus has been to equip young women, young mothers between 16 and 24 years from low-income settlements with technical skills in repair and maintenance of electric motor vehicles to earn an income in the sector,” she says. Chixz began with automotive mechanics but has expanded into electric mobility and solarisation. Its courses cover vehicle maintenance, electric motorcycle repair, EV battery repair and job placement. The centre is also certified to train people with disabilities. Trainees working together on a suspension strut beside a car during a practical vehicle repair session. | Chixz Auto Garage and Serives The training is arriving at a pivotal moment. Kenya had registered 39,324 electric vehicles cumulatively by the end of 2025, a sharp rise from 1,378 in 2022, according to the Ministry of Roads and Transport. This is creating an ecosystem of new work around vehicle servicing, charging, battery management, solar integration, fleet operations, spare parts and last-mile delivery. For women, that ecosystem could create routes into occupations where they have traditionally been underrepresented. “In rural and peri-urban areas where electric motorcycles and three-wheelers are the common mode of transport, electric transport is fast penetrating these areas, but there are no mechanics with the skills to do the work,” Wali says. “Our trained women therefore have an opportunity to get in and earn a living.” Kenya’s green transport ambitions are also supported by its energy mix. Much of the country’s electricity is generated from renewable sources, including geothermal, hydropower, wind and solar. That means the transition to electric mobility can help reduce dependence on imported fossil fuels while cutting emissions and improving air quality. But the clean-energy shift will only be truly transformative if its economic benefits reach beyond large companies and urban centres. Trainees at Chixz Garage examining a car engine bay during a practical session on vehicle maintenance.| Chixz Auto Garage and Services Wali is already thinking beyond her garage. She plans to establish Chixz Hubs, which are local, one-stop centres in towns where electric motorcycles are spreading but specialised repair services remain scarce. The hubs would combine training, repairs, spare parts, charging, battery swapping and motorcycle conversions. They would be managed by experienced technicians, with Chixz offering mentorship and incubation support. The aim is for trained women to operate their own businesses and serve the communities where they live. The hub model could help turn women from trainees into entrepreneurs. Rather than depending solely on jobs in established companies, they could own workshops, manage battery-swapping stations, provide repair services or run fleets. This is important because women remain largely absent from many parts of Kenya’s transport sector. Research connected to an e-mobility programme in Homa Bay found that women accounted for just 5% of electric-vehicle drivers in the country. Some women have faced family pressure or social stigma for entering boda boda work and other transport-related jobs. Flo Mwangi, founder and chief executive of fleet-management and last-mile delivery company Ubuntu Rides, says the sector needs to deliberately create space for women beyond traditional office roles. “Women really need to move beyond the rooms. Women need to move beyond the administration work,” she says. Ubuntu Rides recruits, trains and manages riders using motorcycles, electric motorcycles and bicycles. Within six months of launch, it had reached 64 riders, though only three were women drivers. The company has become part of the employment pathway for some women trained by Chixz. Still, technical skills are only one part of the solution. Women also need access to financing, tools, mentorship, market opportunities and workplaces that allow them to remain and progress in the sector. That is the focus of initiatives such as Flone Initiative’s Women in E-Mobility Network, which supports skills development, mentorship, research, advocacy and access to finance. In Homa Bay, women trained in electric-vehicle technology, battery systems, licensing and technical skills have gone on to work as technicians and battery-swap attendants, while others have launched electric boda boda and delivery businesses. The government’s National Electric Mobility Policy, launched in February, is designed to support charging infrastructure, local production, skills development and investment in the sector. It recognises that the transition will need workers across manufacturing, assembly, servicing, charging, logistics and fleet management. Wali’s work is helping make sure they are not merely passengers in Kenya’s green transition, but active participants and owners in the opportunities it creates. The article has been republished from Bird Story Agency: https://agency.birdstoryagency.com/Continue Reading

Peter Ngare wrote a new post

Wed, 23 Sep 2026 06:36:19 +0300

The Worst El Niño in Recorded History is Brewing, Warn Experts This year’s El Niño has more than a 90 per cent chance of becoming the strongest event observed since records began in the 1870s, as exceptionally warm Pacific waters raise the prospect of sharply contrasting weather risks around the world. In an article in Nature, climate scientist Zeke Hausfather says sea-surface temperatures in the central tropical Pacific were about 2.9°C above the current 30-year climate baseline in early September. That was more than 1°C warmer than at the same stage of the powerful 1997 and 2015 El Niño events. For the Horn of Africa, one of the clearest risks is unusually heavy short rains and flooding between October and December 2026, particularly across parts of Kenya, Somalia and Ethiopia. The scale of the impact will also depend on the Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD), another major climate driver that affects rainfall in the region. The regional outlook from the IGAD Climate Prediction and Applications Centre (ICPAC) points in the same direction. It gives a 90 per cent chance of enhanced rainfall over southern Ethiopia, central and southern Somalia, and north-eastern Kenya during the October–December season. ICPAC also forecasts a high likelihood of seasonal rainfall exceeding 400 millimetres in parts of central and southern Somalia, central Kenya and the Lake Victoria Basin, as well as parts of Burundi, western Rwanda and western Tanzania. ICPAC also expects warmer-than-average temperatures across much of the region, with particularly high probabilities over eastern Kenya, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Djibouti and Somalia. El Niño is the warm phase of a recurring climate pattern marked by unusually warm sea-surface temperatures in the central and eastern tropical Pacific. The warming alters atmospheric circulation, shifting rainfall and temperature patterns thousands of kilometres away. The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) forecasts nearly 100 per cent likelihood that the event will persist through February 2027, reaching very strong intensity before peaking towards the end of the year. The global assessment highlights the contrasting hazards expected elsewhere. Southern Africa faces drought between December 2026 and February 2027, with risks to maize production and food security. The region is one of the most consistent drought hotspots during El Niño events. During the four strongest El Niño events between 1980 and 2016, southern Africa had roughly an 80 per cent chance of below-normal rainfall during the December–February wet season, Hausfather writes. The 2023–24 event triggered severe drought and disaster declarations in Zimbabwe, Zambia and Malawi. During the 2015–16 El Niño, South Africa’s maize harvest fell by nearly half. These risks show how one climate event can threaten communities through very different pathways such flooding in parts of East Africa, and drought, crop losses and fires in other regions. *Based on the Nature World View by Zeke Hausfather, “The worst El Niño in recorded history is brewing — here’s how governments must prepare,” published 22 September 2026, and the ICPAContinue Reading

Neville Ng'ambwa wrote a new post

Wed, 23 Sep 2026 06:20:53 +0300

How Agroforestry Is Transforming Farming in Bungoma When George Matete bought seven acres of land in Kimaeti, Bungoma County in 1983, he hoped farming would provide food and income for his family after his career as a teacher. But for years, the farm struggled to fulfil that promise. Maize harvests averaged only two to three sacks per acre, soil erosion carried away fertile topsoil, crop diseases reduced production and the household had little surplus to sell. Matete frequently bought food to cover the shortfall, placing additional pressure on an income that also had to meet school fees and other family expenses. Today, much of the homestead is shaded by mature trees and younger avocado trees. Crops, fodder and fruit trees occupy different parts of the farm while grass strips slow the movement of rainwater across the fields and mulch protects exposed soil. Sitting with his wife beneath a Java plum tree, commonly known as zambarau, Matete can point to a practical change in the farm’s fortunes. He says maize yields have risen to between 10 and 12 sacks per acre, depending on the season. George Matete and his wife Imelda Matete smiling while working their farm in Kimaeti, Bungoma County | Photo: David Maeri for Vi Agroforestry The improvement did not result from a single new crop or expensive technology. It followed years of learning how to manage soil, water, trees and crops as parts of the same farming system. “Low productivity necessitated buying extra food because we lacked knowledge of good agricultural practices such as sustainable agricultural land management,” says Matete, now 65. The turning point came around 2009, when Matete joined the Tulukuyi Women Group, a local farmer organisation, and began receiving training supported by Vi Agroforestry. The training introduced him to sustainable agricultural land management, an approach that helps farmers maintain soil fertility, control erosion, conserve water and produce food without continually degrading the land. Matete began applying the lessons gradually. He planted indigenous trees along the farm boundaries and introduced avocado and fodder trees. He established grass strips across sloping sections of the land to slow runoff and hold soil in place. He also adopted mulching and crop rotation. Instead of depending heavily on maize, the household diversified its production, and the farm now grows beans, cassava, sweet potatoes, finger millet, sorghum, bananas, sesame and vegetables alongside maize, and also fodder crops that support livestock. This diversity gives the household several sources of food and reduces the risk of losing an entire season’s production when one crop performs poorly. Crop residues and livestock manure can also be returned to the soil, while trees provide shade, organic matter and protection from wind. The system is particularly useful as farmers contend with increasingly unreliable rainfall. Mulch reduces the loss of moisture from the soil, while grass strips help water soak into the ground instead of washing soil away. Trees protect exposed land and can provide fruit, fodder, fuelwood or timber, depending on the species planted and how they are managed. According to Lordvicus Okwach, an agroforestry expert at Vi Angoforestry, the practice entails choosing the right tree for the right place and the right purpose. “We work with nitrogen-fixing trees like Sesbania and Calliandra to naturally enrich the soil, fruit trees to provide nutrition and income, and fodder trees to feed livestock. By creating these multi-layered, diverse ecosystems on a single piece of land, we mimic the efficiency of a natural forest while producing food,” says Okwach. George Matete, his wife Imelda and their grandchildren walking on their farm in Kimaeti, Bungoma County. | Photo: David Maeri for Vi Agroforestry While these practices do not prevent droughts or intense rainfall, they help reduce some of the damage by improving the farm’s ability to retain water during dry periods and control runoff during heavy rain. The clearest measure of change for Matete is the maize harvest. His reported increase from two or three sacks to as many as 12 sacks per acre means the household is better able to meet its food needs and sell part of the surplus. The benefits extend beyond maize. Growing different food crops gives the family more dietary choices and allows harvesting at different times of the year. For a household of about 15 people, including children and grandchildren, that greater supply of food matters. Before the changes, low harvests forced the family to spend limited cash on staples that could otherwise have been produced at home. Matete’s experience also shows why improving smallholder agriculture cannot be reduced to distributing seeds or fertilizer, because farmers need knowledge suited to the conditions of their land, followed by enough time and support to test, adapt and maintain new practices. The recovery of degraded soil is usually gradual. Trees take years to mature, and grass strips require land that might otherwise be planted with crops. Some farmers may also lack labour, seedlings, tools or secure rights to the land they cultivate, issues that constraints influence on who can adopt the practices and how quickly benefits emerge. George Matete and his wife Imelda Matete inspect their banana plant in full fruit on their farm in Kimaeti, Bungoma County. | Photo: David Maeri for Vi Agroforestry In Matete’s case, owning the land and receiving training over time allowed him to make long-term changes. His results offer a useful example, but they should not be treated as a guarantee that every farm will achieve the same yields. Higher production has not resolved every problem. Poor rural roads and weak access to reliable markets continue to affect farmers in the area. When produce is ready for sale, smallholders may have few buyers and limited bargaining power, and perishable crops can spoil before reaching a market, particularly when roads become difficult to use during rainy periods. These obstacles show the limits of farm-level solutions, including training that can help a farmer restore soil and increase production, but it cannot repair roads, organise transport or guarantee a fair price. Expanding the benefits of sustainable land management will therefore require support beyond individual farms including extension services that can provide technical guidance and farmer groups that can help members obtain seedlings and share knowledge, while better storage, transport and market information can reduce losses after harvesting. Matete now wants to expand his agroforestry system and produce more fodder for livestock., while also sharing what he has learnt with other farmers. “Agroforestry is more than a farming technique. It is a lifeline for our future,” Matete says. “With the right knowledge, we can feed our families, protect our land and build a sustainable legacy for the next generaContinue Reading

Pauline Ongaji wrote a new post

Tue, 22 Sep 2026 10:08:00 +0300

Kenya’s Electric Mobility Receives Regulatory Boost Kenya’s electric-mobility sector has received a regulatory boost after the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) removed the 15,000 kilowatt-hour monthly ceiling that previously limited access to the special electricity tariff for electric-vehicle charging. Under the previous arrangement, operators crossing the 15,000 kWh threshold could face higher electricity costs, potentially weakening the economics of expanding high-volume charging networks. The change means charging-station operators can continue accessing the e-mobility tariff even after exceeding the previous monthly consumption threshold. Electricity for e-mobility customers remains priced at KES 16 per kilowatt-hour during peak hours and KES 8 during designated off-peak hours, including the overnight period from 10pm to 6am. The regulatory change comes as electricity demand from electric mobility is rising rapidly. Kenya Power reported that electricity consumption by the e-mobility sector reached 8.43 million kWh in 2025, up from 2.92 million kWh in 2024, an increase of 188 per cent. The removal of the ceiling addresses a constraint that could become increasingly important as larger electric buses, motorcycles, cars and commercial fleets enter the market. Kenya’s National Electric Mobility Policy identifies electric mobility as part of the strategy to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions, improve energy security and reduce dependence on imported fossil fuels. According to the industry, the next challenge is more about where and how the charging network develops. At the launch of the National Electric Mobility Policy in February, the Ministry of Roads and Transport said charging infrastructure was concentrated in Nairobi and needed to expand to other towns and transport corridors. For climate policy, this matters because an electric-mobility transition concentrated among private vehicles in Nairobi would have a different impact from one that also reaches public transport, boda bodas, logistics fleets and regional transport corridors. The government says its e-mobility strategy is intended to support public transport, two- and three-wheelers, logistics and other transport modes while encouraging investment in charging infContinue Reading

Correspondent wrote a new post

Tue, 22 Sep 2026 04:56:47 +0300

How Simple Electric Fence Changes Are Helping Protect Kenya’s Giant Pangolins By Pauline Kairu Naserian, a giant ground pangolin, spent about two years moving through Nyekweri Forest, one of Kenya’s last strongholds for the endangered species. At night, Naserian left the forest and travelled through a changing landscape of woodland, farms and grazing land on the western edge of the Maasai Mara National Reserve. Researchers from The Pangolin Project tracked her movements using GPS, watching as she crossed privately owned plots separated by fences. Then, one night, her signal stopped. When the team reached her location, they found Naserian dead beneath an electric fence. Her death highlights a growing danger for giant ground pangolins in Kenya. While poaching remains a serious threat to pangolins around the world, in Nyekweri, electric fences and habitat loss are now among the most immediate risks. Since 2022, researchers have recorded 15 pangolin deaths in the area, 14 of which were caused by electrocution on electric fences, with fewer than 30 giant ground pangolins believed to remain in Kenya, meaning every loss matters. “People often assume poaching is the greatest danger facing pangolins, but in Nyekweri the reality is far more alarming,” says Michael Koskei, conservation monitoring and data manager at The Pangolin Project. “Right now, these fences are killing pangolins faster than traffickers are taking them.” Nyekweri Forest was once part of a larger, connected landscape where wildlife could move freely across communal Maasai land. Today, more than 80% of the forest has been cleared over the past 20 years, according to conservation group, Legado, and what remains is home to many species, including giant ground pangolins. Peter Ole Tompoy, chairperson of the Nyekweri-Kimintet Community Forest Conservation Trust, has lived in the area all his life. He remembers a time when wildlife could move without barriers. Now, land subdivision and fencing have broken up the routes that animals have used for generations. Researchers have mapped about 268 kilometres of electrified fencing across Nyekweri, and for a pangolin, this can be deadly. Unlike many animals, pangolins cannot jump over a fence. When frightened, they curl into a tight ball, which is an effective defence against predators, but it offers no protection from an electric current. Landowner Ole Manguyo says electric fencing on part of his land has made it difficult even for his cattle to access grazing areas. | Photo Courtesy/The Pangolin Project. For many families living beside the Maasai Mara, fencing is not a choice made lightly as wildlife regularly enters farms and grazing areas. Naisenya Rakita, whose property sits near the Maasai Mara National Reserve, says fences help protect her family’s crops and animals. “Lions often follow wild prey into the area and, in the process, end up preying on our livestock,” she says. For people who depend on cattle, sheep and goats, losing animals can mean losing income, food and security. Compensation for wildlife damage exists under Kenyan law, but residents say it is not always available when they need it. That is why conservationists are not asking landowners to remove fences completely. Instead, they are working with them to make fences safer by leaving the bottom two or three wires of an electric fence unpowered. The gap is small enough to keep livestock protected and discourage larger wildlife from entering farms but it allows pangolins to pass underneath safely. Across Nyekweri, landowners have voluntarily de-electrified lower strands along about 134 kilometres of fencing. That is roughly half of the mapped electric fencing in the area. Resident Ben Sulel also agreed to change his fence after learning that pangolins still lived nearby. He now encourages neighbours to do the same. “When I understood what pangolins need to survive, I realised my land is part of something much bigger,” he says. Farmer Ole Manguyo has taken another approach. Rather than fence his entire property, he has concentrated fencing around areas used for farming and grazing, leaving more natural habitat open. He has also kept the lower wires unpowered. “Before, I thought pangolins might become a problem for my farm,” he says. “It wasn’t until I learned more about them that I realised they don’t damage crops.” In fact, pangolins can be helpful to farms and ecosystems as they feed mainly on ants and termites, using their long sticky tongues to collect insects. A single pangolin can eat millions of insects each year. The Pangolin Project uses GPS tracking and digital fence maps to monitor tagged pangolins in the area. Through the EarthRanger monitoring platform, researchers can receive alerts when a tracked pangolin approaches a high-risk fence. This gives field teams a chance to respond before an animal reaches danger. However, only seven giant ground pangolins in Nyekweri currently carry GPS tags, meaning many others still move through the landscape unseen. The tracking data has nevertheless helped conservationists show landowners how often pangolins cross private land and why safer fencing matters. Not everyone has adopted the approach yet. But Wilson Parkesui, a habitat protection officer with The Pangolin Project, says attitudes are shifting. “Little by little, more landowners are beginning to understand that making space for pangolins doesn’t mean giving up their livelihoods,” he says. The Pangolin Project and local communities are also using voluntary conservation agreements to protect remaining forest and restore wildlife corridors and more than 6,000 hectares of private land have so far been placed under conservation easements. Beryl Makori, the organisation’s chief programme officer, says pangolins cannot survive without connected habitat. “Switching off the lower fence wires removes one immediate threat, but it is only part of the solution,” she says. “Without protecting what remains of the forest, there will be nowhere left for pangolins to feed, shelter and breed.” For Nyekweri’s communities, protecting pangolins is also about protecting forests, water sources, livelihoods and the wider Maasai Mara ecosystem. Naserian’s death was a warning. But the response from local landowners shows that small changes, made across a shared landscape, can give Kenya’s remaining giant pangolins a safer path forward. This article has been republished from Mongabay: https://news.mongabay.com/2026/09/electric-fences-that Continue Reading

Peter Ngare wrote a new post

Mon, 21 Sep 2026 08:57:26 +0300

Mafuriko Platform Launches to Track El Nino Flooding in Real Time As Kenya prepares for the possibility of heavy rains and flooding during the October–December season, a new community-powered platform is seeking to keep Kenyans informed of what is happening on the ground in real time. Called Mafuriko, the free online platform, mafuriko.co.ke, maps flood-prone locations in Nairobi and allows members of the public to report flooding and other emerging conditions during El Nino. The platform was developed by Esoteric Strats and is powered by AIVERSE Africa. Its launch comes as national and county governments step up preparations for the anticipated El Niño rains, with all 47 counties required to identify flood-prone areas, evacuation grounds and measures to protect communities and critical infrastructure. Mafuriko brings together information on historical flood hotspots, rainfall data, affected roads and reports submitted by residents. The developers say the objective is to build a more immediate picture of flooding from information generated by people experiencing it. That community reporting element could be particularly relevant during rapidly developing floods, when conditions can change faster than official assessments can be communicated. The platform is positioned as a public awareness and information tool, rather than an official early-warning or weather forecasting system. Mafuriko adds a different layer to the preparedness effort through citizen-generated situational information. “A resident who encounters a flooded road, rising water or an affected neighbourhood can submit a report, potentially providing information that may be useful to other residents and response actors,” the platform informContinue Reading

Neville Ng'ambwa wrote a new post

Sun, 20 Sep 2026 21:03:07 +0300

Kenya Turns to Bamboo to Restore Water Sources and Create Jobs Residents of Mbeu in Meru County had struggled with dwindling water from local streams. Today, Joseph Tharimbo says bamboo planted around water sources is helping change that. “The planting of bamboo in our community has helped restore the water springs,” said Tharimbo, chairperson of the Mbeu Community Forest Association. “This has helped the animals and the community to get fresh water.” For Tharimbo and other residents, apart from being a conservation crop, bamboo is becoming part of everyday life protecting water, restoring degraded areas and supporting livelihoods. These testimonials were shared as Kenya celebrated World Bamboo Day at Meru University of Science and Technology, where farmers, community groups, researchers, investors and government officials gathered for the National Bamboo Expo. Joseph Tharimbo Chair Mbeu CFA in Meru | Photo/Neville Ng’ambwa For women in Meru, the crop is also opening a path to income. Dorothy Naitore, secretary of the Meru Forest Environment, Conservation and Protection Group, said women involved in bamboo processing are earning from products made in their workshop. “This has helped the women in our community be empowered from selling the products we create in our workshop here in Meru,” she said. “The work has brought together environmental conservation and economic independence and we are glad we have more women who have embraced bamboo planting and conservation.” Dorothy Naitore, secretary of the Meru Forest Environment, Conservation and Protection Group During World Bamboo | Photo/Neville Ng’ambwa The experiences shared by Tharimbo and Naitore reflect what the government hopes to achieve nationally through the National Bamboo Development Strategy and Action Plan 2025–2035. Kenya plans to add 150,000 hectares of bamboo under the strategy. The country already has an estimated 130,000 hectares of natural bamboo forests, mainly indigenous highland bamboo, as well as bamboo cultivated on private land. But speakers at the event said planting more bamboo will not be enough unless communities can access quality seedlings, technical support, processing facilities and reliable markets. Forest Development Secretary George Tarus delivered a message from Environment, Climate Change and Forestry Cabinet Secretary Dr Deborah Barasa on behalf of the CS and Forestry Principal Secretary Gitonga Mugambi. “Bamboo connects restoration with enterprise, farmers with manufacturers, research with markets and environmental stewardship with economic opportunity,” Environment, Climate Change and Forestry Cabinet Secretary Dr Deborah Barasa said in her message. She said the goal should be to build a competitive, investment-ready and market-driven bamboo industry rather than focus only on increasing acreage. [Right] Kenya Forest Service Chief Conservator of Forests Alex Lemarkoko with [Left] Dan Kaburu of Big3Africa.org | Photo/Francis Mwangi For communities such as Mbeu, that ambition is already taking shape in small but tangible ways, evident in cleaner water from restored springs, greener landscapes and products that can be sold for income. Kenya Forest Service Chief Conservator of Forests Alex Lemarkoko said bamboo could help protect water catchments, restore river lines and rehabilitate degraded land because of its rapid growth. “The plant can supply raw materials for construction, furniture, energy, textiles and crafts. The government is encouraging investors to put money into processing and manufacturing, rather than trading raw bamboo, so that more jobs and value remain in Kenya,” said Lemarkoko. Kenya’s indigenous highland bamboo, Yushania alpina, grows between 2,400 and 3,400 metres above sea level in the Aberdare Range, Mount Elgon, Mount Kenya and the Cherangany Hills, and it is important for water catchment protection, soil stabilisation and habitat conservation. Officials have stressed, however, that expansion must be sustainable and must not endanger indigenous forests or sensitive water-Continue Reading

Dan Kaburu wrote a new post

Sun, 20 Sep 2026 21:01:26 +0300

World’s Rivers Suffer One of the Driest Years in More than Three Decades, WMO Warns Rivers across the globe in 2025 had one of the driest years in more than three decades, according to a new report from the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). It shows a continuation of the long-term decline in Earth’s freshwater storage and in glacier retreat – trends with serious implications for people and economies in the future. The WMO State of Global Water Resources Report shows that the water cycle has become more erratic and unpredictable, swinging between too little or too much. Asia and Africa together accounted for at least half of all recorded water-related extreme events and more than 80% of reported associated deaths over the past five years, it says. “The water cycle has become more erratic and unpredictable, swinging between too little or too much,” the WMO said in the report. In Africa, that uncertainty is already being felt across some of the continent’s most important river systems. In 2025, flows were much below normal in the Nile, Congo and Zambezi basins. On the other hand, Senegal, Niger, Lake Chad, Orange and Limpopo had above-normal flows in 2025. During the year, the Greater Horn of Africa was hit by severe drought after one of its driest October-to-December seasons on record. In West and Central Africa, repeated floods continued to cause damage, mostly in Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. According to WMO, the water reserves people rely on during dry times are under pressure with uneven changes across Africa. Central and Southern Africa had much-above-normal land water storage in 2025, while North Africa had below-normal storage. Parts of southern Africa have also faced persistent groundwater shortages since 2022. WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo compared the planet’s slow-moving water reserves to savings that help people through difficult times. “We are depleting that savings account. Global terrestrial water storage has shown a declining trend since 2014–2016 – a persistent, decade-long signal. For the fourth consecutive year, every major glaciated region on Earth lost ice mass. Groundwater tells a similar story: nearly two-thirds of monitored wells worldwide showed conditions outside the historical norm in 2025, and the balance shifted further toward deficit compared with 2024, not toward recovery,” said Saulo. “At the same time, we are seeing more water-related disasters. The strengthening El Niño will increase the risk of drought in some arContinue Reading

Neville Ng'ambwa wrote a new post

Wed, 16 Sep 2026 15:23:30 +0300

Kenya Looks to Bamboo to Turn Climate Action into Rural Enterprise EnterpriseKenya is seeking to turn bamboo from an underused forest resource into a commercially competitive crop that can create rural jobs, restore degraded landscapes and strengthen the country’s response to climate change. Environment, Climate Change and Forestry Cabinet Secretary Dr Deborah Barasa made the case while opening the Bamboo Expo in Meru, running from September 16 to 18 as part of this year’s World Bamboo Day celebrations. “Bamboo offers an opportunity to grow incomes while conserving the environment,” Dr Barasa said, urging farmers, investors and institutions to support the sector. The push comes as Kenya works to diversify agriculture and build livelihoods that can better withstand climate shocks. The government’s National Bamboo Development Strategy and Action Plan 2025–2035 identifies bamboo as a tool for ecosystem restoration, climate resilience, green enterprise and value addition. The State Department for Forestry says Kenya has more than 130,000 hectares of natural and planted bamboo and is targeting an additional 150,000 hectares of coverage under the strategy. Kenya’s indigenous highland bamboo, Yushania alpina, commonly known as African alpine bamboo, is particularly important. The species grows between 2,400 and 3,400 metres above sea level in the Aberdare Range, Mount Elgon, Mount Kenya and the Cherangany Hills, which are vital water towers and biodiversity areas. Cabinet Secretary for Environment Dr. Deborah Barasa and other stakeholders planting bamboo during the Bamboo Expo and Meru University in Meru County. | Courtesy Highland bamboo helps stabilise soils, protect water catchments and provide habitat in ecosystems already under pressure from land degradation and a changing climate. That ecological role gives bamboo a double value as it can help repair damaged landscapes while supplying renewable material for enterprise. Stakeholders are however cautioning that commercial expansion must not lead to the clearing of indigenous forests or undermine water-tower protection, saying that sustainable sourcing, sound land-use planning and safeguards for native bamboo ecosystems will be central to the sector’s credibility. For farmers and young entrepreneurs, the opportunity lies in durable incomes that are likely to come from well-organised value chains including quality seedlings, farmer training, harvesting standards, aggregation, processing, product design and dependable buyers. The Meru expo has brought together farmers, researchers, government agencies, private-sector players and community stakeholders to showcase products, technologies and investment opportunities. It is expected to promote propagation, share practical knowledge and demonstrate how bamboo can move from a seedling to aContinue Reading

Correspondent wrote a new post

Tue, 15 Sep 2026 13:46:47 +0300

Africa’s Climate Finance Gap Is Holding Back Proven Local Solutions By Seth Onyango Across Africa, communities are restoring degraded farmland, rebuilding mangrove forests and creating businesses that protect natural resources while generating income. These initiatives show that the continent has practical responses to climate change, but what many lack is reliable finance to expand beyond individual communities and short funding cycles. Projects in East Africa illustrate both the potential of locally implemented climate action and the financial barriers holding it back. In Tanzania’s Mwanza region, within the Lake Victoria watershed, Trees for the Future is using a $2.9 million grant from a United States foundation to expand an agroforestry programme that replaces single-crop fields with combinations of trees, fruit, vegetables, grain and livestock fodder. The programme plans to support 2,780 smallholder farmers annually between 2026 and 2029, where each participating farm will grow between 2,500 and 4,000 trees. The system is intended to restore depleted soils, diversify food production and help households cope with increasingly unpredictable rainfall. About 3,000 acres are expected to be restored each year, with approximately 21,900 family members benefiting from improved food supplies. The programme also incorporates savings groups and land-use planning to help participating households retain the benefits after the grant ends. Trees for the Future says it has trained more than 12,000 farmers and planted over 36 million trees in Tanzania since 2016. Its experience shows that land restoration can be integrated with food production and household income, but also exposes a recurring problem where successful projects often depend on grants whose expiry can limit expansion or leave communities searching for replacement funding. Along Kenya’s southern coast, communities are using a different model to restore mangrove forests and strengthen livelihoods. At Gazi Bay, the Aga Khan Foundation and Portugal’s Camões Institute are supporting the restoration of 226 hectares of mangrove forest. About 65,000 seedlings have been planted across six hectares. The Gazi initiative combines restoration with conservation training, enterprises led by women and young people, and efforts to increase revenue from the Gazi Boardwalk. These activities recognise that communities are more likely to protect restored ecosystems when conservation also supports household income. In Zanzibar, a community-led initiative is rehabilitating 3,300 hectares of mangrove and coral-rag forest across 16 areas. Rather than depending entirely on donor grants, the project plans to generate high-integrity carbon credits to help finance continued restoration. The projects in Mwanza, Gazi Bay and Zanzibar use different approaches, but they point to the same conclusion that African communities are already restoring soils, protecting coastlines, conserving forests and building climate-related enterprises. The financing challenge is to help these initiatives grow without burdening communities with unaffordable debt or leaving them dependent on short-term grants. That challenge is expected to feature prominently as African leaders gather for the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). African countries are seeking increased adaptation finance, delivery of loss and damage commitments, and changes to an international financial system marked by high borrowing costs, mounting debt and complicated funding procedures. The central question is whether global climate finance can move from pledges and specialised funding mechanisms to capital that African institutions and communities can access and use. The 2026 Africa Sustainable Development Report underlines the scale of the problem. It records progress in 12 of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals, but concludes that the advances are neither fast nor extensive enough to meet the 2030 targets. The report identifies financing shortages, inadequate infrastructure, limited institutional capacity, conflict, climate shocks and rising debt-service costs as major barriers. “Structural constraints including financing shortfalls, limited institutional capacities, and frequent climate and economic shocks have slowed progress and, in some areas, reversed gains,” it says. Climate finance is therefore not a separate environmental concern, as it influences whether farmers can protect food production, coastal settlements can withstand storms and erosion, and climate-vulnerable countries an preserve development gains. Philip Kilonzo, head of policy, advocacy and communication at the Pan African Climate Justice Alliance, says the main problem is not an absence of local solutions but financing systems that failed to reflect conditions at the community level. “Adaptation is local, and African communities have demonstrated that they have requisite solutions,” he says. “The unjustifiable gap is in complex financing models and modalities that are yet to come to reality with what is needed to deliver climate action at the front line.” According to Diana Nabiruma, manager of programmes and communications at Uganda’s Africa Institute for Energy Governance, financing could also help communities build businesses around clean energy and conservation. She cites clean-energy enterprises, beekeeping and sustainable nature-based tourism as activities that allow people to earn an income while conserving forests or reducing dependence on polluting energy sources. “Africa does not lack climate solutions. It lacks the scale, finance and enabling systems needed to take proven African solutions from communities to national and continental levels,” said Imali Ngusale, strategic lead at the Africa Centre for Health, Climate and Gender Justice Alliance. The article has been republished from Bird Story Agency: https://agency.birdstory Continue Reading

Correspondent wrote a new post

Mon, 14 Sep 2026 12:38:46 +0300

Kenya’s Indigenous Seeds Face a Defining Legal and Policy Test By Daniel Kipchumba Kenya’s rules governing indigenous seeds are entering a decisive period as the government challenges a High Court judgment that expanded farmers’ seed rights while simultaneously reviewing the country’s seed law. At stake is whether smallholder farmers can continue saving, exchanging and selling indigenous seed without undergoing certification procedures designed largely for commercially bred varieties. For generations, farmers have preserved crop diversity by selecting seed from successful harvests and sharing it through families, communities and local markets. Seed advocates argue that restricting these practices threatens food security, agricultural biodiversity and farmers’ control over what they grow. The dispute intensified on November 27, 2025, when the High Court in Machakos declared several provisions of the Seeds and Plant Varieties Act unconstitutional. The judgment followed a case brought by Seed Savers Network and 15 farmers challenging provisions that affected their ability to sell and share uncertified indigenous seed. The government, acting through the Attorney-General on behalf of the Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service, has appealed against the decision. The appeal could determine whether the protections secured through the judgment remain in place. Robert Kiiru an advocate of the High Court at Seed Savers Network, headquarters Nakuru County. | Photo Daniel Kipchumba. “The outcome will have a direct effect on farmers’ ability to save, exchange, share and market their seed,” said High Court advocate Robert Kiiru. According to Kiiru, overturning the judgment could restore restrictions that prevent farmers from selling or marketing seed unless it has been registered or certified. He said the certification system requires characteristics such as distinctness, uniformity and stability, standards that says may be difficult and expensive for smallholder farmers maintaining genetically diverse indigenous varieties to meet. The government’s position is that indigenous seed cannot easily be released into the formal market without certification because regulators must safeguard seed quality. Seed advocates argue the law should distinguish farmer-managed seed systems from commercial seed production and create proportionate rules for each. Kiiru also raised concerns about provisions granting inspectors access to farms and about sanctions that may be imposed where a protected plant variety is found. He argued that enforcement must respect privacy, property rights and the constitutional right to fair administrative action. “Whoever controls your seed controls your food and ultimately controls your life,” he said. The consequences of the case are practical for farmers such as Mary Chamakani of Marigat in Baringo County. Chamakani grows indigenous yellow and red maize, African nightshade, locally known as managu, and beans. She also exchanges seed with other farmers. Mary Chamakany, a farmer from Marigat in Baringo county during a recent meeting at Seed Savers Network Kenya. | Photo Daniel Kipchumba. For her, seed sharing allows farmers to retain varieties adapted to local food preferences and growing conditions without purchasing new seed every season. “I pray that the Machakos ruling is upheld. It will help us to produce more,” she said. Indigenous varieties can carry traits selected by farmers over many seasons, including suitability for particular soils, tastes and rainfall conditions. Maintaining that diversity may become increasingly important as farmers confront drought, erratic rainfall, pests and other climate-related pressures. Restricting circulation of such seed could therefore affect not only farmers’ rights but also the resilience of local food systems. The court case is unfolding alongside a government review of the Seeds and Plant Varieties Act. That process provides another route through which Kenya could recognise farmer-managed seed systems while retaining safeguards against misrepresentation and poor-quality seed. Tabby Munyiri, Seed Savers Network’s communication and advocacy officer, said the organisation expects a draft seed Bill to be released for public participation. She called for farmers to be adequately informed and included in that process. Tabby Munyiri, the communication and advocacy officer at Seed Savers Network Kenya, in a recent agriculture workshop. | Photo Daniel Kipchumba “We are raising awareness about the importance of indigenous seeds and the need for their recognition and protection, both in practice and in law,” Munyiri said. She said this during the Seed Savers Network in Naivasha during a forum to examine the court appeal and the expected legislative review. The legal campaign began in 2018, when Seed Savers Network sought pro bono legal assistance through TrustLaw. The organisation later worked with Greenpeace Africa to build legal capacity and intensify advocacy. The case was filed in 2022, with 15 farmers participating as petitioners. The Biodiversity and Biosafety Association of Kenya and the Law Society of Kenya subsequently joined the proceedings as interested parties. The appeal process could take several years, according to Kiiru, who added that the review of the Act may move faster and could reshape the law before the appeal is concluded. Both processes will determine how Kenya balances formal seed regulation with the rights of farmers who conserve and circulate indiContinue Reading

Big3Africa Desk wrote a new post

Mon, 14 Sep 2026 09:54:16 +0300

Carbon Credits Must Deliver More Than Cash to Farmers Carbon markets are often discussed in technical terms such as carbon credits, verification systems and international standards. For smallholder farmers, however, their value lies in the practical benefits they deliver on the farm. A carbon project is meaningful when it helps farmers restore depleted soils, conserve water, protect crops from extreme weather and strengthen household incomes. While carbon credits may provide additional income, they should be treated as one outcome of the project and not the sole measure of its success. Vi Agroforestry has spent more than 15 years developing and managing agricultural carbon projects with smallholder farmers. Its experience through the Kenya Agricultural Carbon Project (KACP) and the Livelihoods Mount Elgon Project offers practical evidence of what these projects can achieve, as well as the difficulties that must be addressed. Since 2009, the project has worked with approximately 30,000 farmers organised into 1,730 groups, who adopted practices such as agroforestry, composting, keeping soil covered, reducing unnecessary soil disturbance and improving water management. Project monitoring recorded higher crop productivity alongside increased carbon storage in soil and trees. The significance of these results extends beyond carbon. Compost helps restore soil fertility and can reduce reliance on purchased fertilizer, trees provide fodder, fruit, fuelwood and shade while protecting the soil, and ground cover slows moisture loss and reduces erosion. These are direct farm benefits, particularly as farmers face irregular rainfall, prolonged dry periods and rising input costs. KACP also exposed the demands of producing credible carbon credits with farmers continuing to apply the agreed practices, while groups and field officers maintain records. Project teams collect and verify data, and independent auditors examine farm activities, soil information, maps and participation records before validating the claimed results. The Livelihoods Mount Elgon Project provides further evidence of how carbon interventions can be integrated into farming livelihoods. The project works with about 16,000 smallholder farmers in Bungoma and Trans Nzoia counties, combining sustainable agriculture, agroforestry and dairy development. Farmers are supported to prepare compost, mulch their fields, rotate crops, plant cover crops and establish trees. They also receive support in soil and water conservation, while dairy farmers learn about fodder production, animal feeding and farm management. These interventions address identifiable problems such as how loss of soil fertility reduces harvests, runoff carries away topsoil during heavy rainfall, while inadequate fodder limits milk production during dry periods. The project’s impact must nevertheless be examined alongside its shortcomings. Implementation has faced logistical problems including changes in scope and disruption during the COVID-19 pandemic. An environmental and social audit identified delays in delivering inputs, limited youth participation, land-tenure barriers affecting women, drought-related water shortages and insufficient communication about carbon-credit processes. These findings are important because development impact cannot be demonstrated by reporting successes alone, and independent assessment, disclosure of weaknesses and corrective action are necessary to establish whether a project is delivering what it promised. The experience also shows that farmers cannot be treated merely as suppliers of carbon credits. They provide the labour required to dig terraces, prepare compost, plant seedlings, protect trees and maintain farming practices over many years. They also carry risks when seedlings die, drought reduces production, inputs arrive late or land must be prioritised for immediate food needs. Benefits should therefore include more than eventual carbon payments. Seedlings, training, extension support, healthier soils, improved production, stronger farmer groups and market access can deliver value before credits are issued. Where carbon sales generate revenue, farmers must understand how costs are deducted, how benefits are divided and when payments can reasonably be expected. The recent Letter of Approval issued to KACP after it met Kenya’s national carbon-market requirements marks progress, but approval alone is not proof of impact. The stronger test is whether participating farmers experience lasting improvements in their land, production and resilience. It is therefore important to appreciate that agricultural carbon markets will earn farmers’ trust only when that work is recognised, the evidence is openly reported and the value created is shared fairly. The writer is the Resource Mobilization and Communication Officer at Vi Agroforestry Kenya, LeahContinue Reading

Neville Ng'ambwa wrote a new post

Sat, 12 Sep 2026 12:44:46 +0300

Coastal Counties First in Line as El Niño Rains Start Kenya’s coastal counties are projected to be the first to experience heavy rainfall associated with a strengthening El Niño and a positive Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD), according to an analysis of seasonal weather models. According to weather and climate analyst Maithya wa Vilivū, moderate to heavy rainfall that are falling in the coastal counties are expected to continue before spreading to other parts of the country. Mombasa, Kwale, Kilifi, Lamu and the Tana Delta area of Tana River County are already receiving significant rains with Mombasa receiving rainfall exceeding 100mm in the last 72 hours. According to the forecast, the next in line are North Eastern counties of Mandera, Wajir and Marsabit. The forecast indicates that rainfall could subsequently extend inland, eventually reaching counties including Isiolo, Meru, Embu, Tharaka Nithi, Kitui, Garissa, Tana River and Taita Taveta by early to mid-October. The projected coastal onset raises the risk of flash floods in Mombasa and other densely settled urban areas where inadequate drainage regularly causes roads, homes and businesses to flood. Low-lying settlements and communities near seasonal rivers in Kilifi, Kwale, Lamu and Tana River could also face displacement, crop damage and disruption of transport. Tana River and Garissa may face an additional threat as heavy local rainfall combines with increased river flows from upstream catchments. This could expose communities along the Tana River to flooding, particularly in low-lying areas where homes, farms and livestock are concentrated. The Water Resources Authority has warned that sustained heavy rainfall can cause rivers to overtop their banks, flood neighbouring settlements and damage water infrastructure. Saturated soils may also increase surface runoff and reduce the time available for communities to respond. In the eastern counties, intense rainfall could produce flash floods along seasonal rivers and dry valleys. Motorists and pedestrians are particularly vulnerable when attempting to cross flooded roads or riverbeds, where water levels can rise rapidly even when rain has fallen many kilometres upstream. The emerging forecast is consistent with the wider regional outlook. The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said in August that the Greater Horn of Africa was expected to be warmer and wetter than usual during the final quarter of 2026 as El Niño strengthened. El Niño occurs when surface waters in the central and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean become unusually warm, altering atmospheric circulation and rainfall patterns in different parts of the world. In equatorial East Africa, it is frequently associated with enhanced rainfall during the October–December season. The IOD, which reflects differences in sea-surface temperatures between the western and eastern Indian Ocean, can reinforce that rainfall. When El Niño and a positive IOD occur together, the probability of widespread and unusually heavy rain over Kenya and neighbouring countries can increase. The forecast gives national and county governments time to clear drainage systems, inspect bridges and culverts, identify evacuation centres and pre-position emergency supplies. Farmers will also need location-specific guidance on planting dates, crop selection, soil protection and livestock safety. Residents should continue following forecasts and warnings issued by the Kenya Meteorological Department and disaster-management authorities as shorter-range predictions become available. These will provide greater detail on when hazardous rainfall is likely to occur and which areas face the most immediatContinue Reading

Peter Ngare wrote a new post

Sat, 12 Sep 2026 12:23:28 +0300

World Records Hottest Month as El Niño Threat Grows August 2026 was the world’s warmest month on record, extending an exceptional period of global heat as a strengthening El Niño raises the risk of disruptive weather well into 2027. The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said August 2026 was also the joint-hottest month ever measured, matching July 2023. The Northern Hemisphere experienced its warmest summer on record, while the Southern Hemisphere had a near-record warm winter. Data from the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service (CCCS) showed that the average global surface temperature during August was 1.65 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial level. The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) separately found that the global temperature was 1.32°C above the 20th-century average, making August the warmest in a record extending back to 1850. All 10 of the hottest Augusts have occurred since 2016, according to NOAA. Record temperatures covered large parts of Africa, Greenland, Europe, Asia and the Americas, as well as extensive areas of the Atlantic, Indian, Southern and Arctic oceans. The findings were based on separate assessments by Copernicus, NOAA and the US space agency NASA. The oceans also entered unprecedented territory as average sea-surface temperatures outside the polar regions reached a daily record of 21.11°C during the month. Exceptional warmth covered much of the tropical Pacific Ocean, where El Niño has become firmly established. El Niño is a naturally occurring warming of the central and eastern tropical Pacific that alters atmospheric circulation and influences rainfall and temperature patterns across the world. Its effects are now being added to the longer-term warming caused mainly by human emissions of greenhouse gases. WMO said the current El Niño is expected to intensify into a very strong event over the coming months, with major effects on rainfall and temperature patterns continuing into 2027. El Niño does not affect every part of the continent in the same way, but it can shift rainy seasons and contribute to excessive rainfall in some regions and dry conditions in others. The Greater Horn of Africa is among the regions where El Niño can significantly influence seasonal rainfall, although local outcomes depend on other ocean and atmospheric conditions. Globally, El Niño also influenced tropical cyclone activity during August. Nineteen tropical storms were recorded, five of which reached hurricane or typhoon strength. During the month of August, Europe experienced heatwaves after months of exceptional warmth. Severe drought was reported in France, Britain, Hungary, Romania and Serbia, while flows in major rivers, including the Rhine and Danube, fell to exceptionally low levels. Sea ice extent remained below average in both the Arctic and Antarctic, adding to evidence that the August warmth extended across the climate system rather than being confined to land temperaContinue Reading

Neville Ng'ambwa wrote a new post

Thu, 10 Sep 2026 20:07:19 +0300

Mount Kenya Fire Leaves Water, Wildlife and Tourism at Risk The wildfire that has burnt thousands of hectares on Mount Kenya could have consequences affecting water supplies, wildlife habitats, tourism and the livelihoods of communities surrounding the mountain. Firefighters have contained about 85 per cent of the blaze, but teams are still battling hotspots and fresh flare-ups, and the full ecological and economic cost will only become clear after the fire is extinguished and detailed assessments are completed. The fire started near Rutundu Lodge on September 1 and spread towards Marania Forest in the north and Chogoria in the south-west. Strong winds, high temperatures, dry grass and invasive vegetation accelerated its movement through steep, inaccessible terrain. Estimates of the area affected vary, with Government figures indicating that more than 3,000 hectares have burnt, while Rhino Ark estimated that the fire had consumed about 8,700 hectares of moorland by September 6. Mount Kenya’s forests, wetlands and moorlands collect, store and gradually release water into rivers feeding the Tana and Ewaso Ng’iro basins. These rivers support homes, farms, livestock, wildlife, industry and hydropower generation across a large part of the country. Loss of vegetation to the fire can weaken the mountain’s ability to retain water and protect soil, allowing water to flow rapidly over burnt ground during brains, carrying ash, soil and plant material into streams. This could reduce water quality, increase erosion and deposit sediment in downstream reservoirs. Wildlife has also lost feeding, breeding and shelter areas. Officials have reported no human casualties and say many large animals moved away from the fire, but smaller mammals, reptiles, insects and ground-nesting birds may have been killed or displaced. The Mount Kenya ecosystem is part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site and supports tourism businesses, guides, porters, accommodation providers and traders. Closure of routes, damaged scenery and safety concerns could disrupt visitor activity and reduce local earnings. More than 400 personnel from the Kenya Defence Forces, Kenya Forest Service, Kenya Wildlife Service, local communities and conservation organisations are involved in the response, with aerial surveillance helping crews locate activContinue Reading

Dan Kaburu wrote a new post

Thu, 10 Sep 2026 19:47:25 +0300

East African Farmers Set for KES 25.8 Billion Climate Investment Boost Smallholder farmers and rural businesses in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and Rwanda are set to access financing for irrigation, water harvesting, better storage and other investments intended to protect agricultural production from worsening climate shocks. This is after Equity Group and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) launched a $200 million (KES 25.8 billion) financing mechanism targeting farmers and agricultural enterprises that often struggle to obtain conventional bank loans. The programme known as Africa Rural Climate Adaptation Finance Mechanism (ARCAFIM) will operate for 12 years and use a mixture of concessional and commercial capital. Its practical test will be whether it makes climate-resilience investments affordable and accessible to farmers exposed to droughts, floods, erratic rainfall and rising production costs. The facility consists of $180 million in lending capital and about $20 million for technical assistance. Equity will contribute $90 million from its balance sheet, matching the concessional lending capital provided by IFAD. The financing will support investments such as irrigation and rainwater harvesting systems, climate-resilient livestock and dairy production, post-harvest storage, renewable energy and agricultural processing designed to withstand climate-related disruptions. The programme plans to reach about 260,000 smallholder producers and 500 rural micro, small and medium-sized enterprises across the four countries, with at least half of the beneficiaries expected to be women and 30 per cent young people. “Through ARCAFIM, we will finance smallholder farmers and agricultural producers directly and through microfinance institutions, SACCOs and value-chain companies, while extending financing to rural MSMEs,” Equity Bank Kenya Managing Director Moses Nyabanda said. The facility also includes training for lenders, farmers and rural businesses. Financial institutions will be helped to identify viable climate-adaptation projects, while borrowers will receive technical guidance on selecting investments suited to their production risks. IFAD Vice-President Gérardine Mukeshimana said the programme seeks to make rural climate adaptation a viable and permanent area of business for African financial institutions. If the East African phase succeeds, IFAD and Equity say the model could be extended to SContinue Reading

Peter Ngare wrote a new post

Tue, 08 Sep 2026 20:56:27 +0300

Pesticide Poisoning Hits More Than Half of East Africa’s Farmers More than half of farmers and agricultural workers in East Africa may suffer unintentional acute pesticide poisoning each year, according to a new global study that places the region among the world’s worst-affected areas. The study, published in Frontiers in Public Health on September 2, estimates that 53.5 per cent of East Africa’s farming population experiences acute pesticide poisoning annually. This translates into about 49.3 million non-fatal cases across the region. Kenya’s estimated prevalence is 35.1 per cent. The rates are considerably higher in Malawi at 78 per cent, Tanzania at 70.8 per cent and Uganda at 66 per cent. Ethiopia recorded the lowest estimate among the six East African countries covered, at 26 per cent. The findings indicate that pesticide poisoning is a major but poorly documented occupational health crisis across Africa, where millions of smallholder farmers and farm workers routinely handle agrochemicals with limited protection, training or access to healthcare. Researchers Wolfgang Boedeker, Meriel Watts, Peter Clausing and Emily Marquez reviewed studies published between 2006 and 2023 and combined the findings with mortality data from the World Health Organisation (WHO). The researchers estimate that between 402 million and 433 million cases of unintentional acute pesticide poisoning occur worldwide every year, alongside approximately 11,000 deaths. With the global farming population estimated at 934 million, the findings suggest that about 46 per cent of farmers and farm workers are poisoned annually. Southern Asia recorded the largest estimated number of non-fatal cases, followed by South-East Asia and East Africa. Across Africa, the study estimates approximately 115 million non-fatal cases each year. Besides East Africa’s 49.3 million cases, West Africa accounts for an estimated 30.6 million, Central and Southern Africa 24.8 million, and North Africa 10.3 million. Country estimates vary sharply. Burkina Faso recorded Africa’s highest estimated prevalence at 83.8 per cent, followed by Malawi, Tanzania and Nigeria, where the rate was put at 69 per cent. Acute poisoning refers to illness or other health effects occurring shortly after suspected or confirmed exposure to a pesticide. Reported symptoms can include headaches, nausea, dizziness, skin irritation, breathing difficulties and more severe neurological or respiratory complications. The researchers warned that official figures substantially understate the problem because many affected people do not seek medical treatment. “Farmers may lack money, transport, health insurance or nearby medical facilities. Some also continue working for fear of losing income, while health workers may mistake pesticide poisoning for other illnesses or fail to report cases,” state the report. Africa’s actual burden may therefore be higher than the study estimates because calculations based on formal agricultural employment may exclude subsistence farmers and informal workers, who make up a large share of the continent’s agricultural labour force. The assessment comes as pesticide consumption in Africa has risen by 185 per cent since 1990, compared with a worldwide increase from 1.8 million tonnes to 3.8 million tonnes by 2023. The study calls on governments to strengthen national poisoning surveillance, require health facilities to report pesticide-related cases and distinguish between farmers, other workers and children in official records. It also urges countries to implement the Food and Agriculture Organisation’s (FAO) recommendation to phase out highly hazardous pesticides. Under the United Nations-backed Global Framework on Chemicals, countries have set a 2035 target for phasing out such pesticides in agriculture where their risks cannot be adequately managed. The researchers argue that relying on protective clothing is often unrealistic for small-scale farmers, particularly where the equipment is expensive, unavailable or uncomfortable in hot climates. Where highly toxic pesticides remain in use, they recommend mandatory training, certification and an obligation on employers to provide suitable protContinue Reading

Peter Ngare wrote a new post

Tue, 08 Sep 2026 20:46:58 +0300

Parliament Approves Excision of Nearly 15,000 Acres from Public Forests Kenya’s Parliament has approved the removal of nearly 15,000 acres from three public forests even as the government mobilises the country to plant 15 billion trees and increase national tree cover to 30 per cent by 2032. The decision exposes a contradiction at the centre of Kenya’s environmental policy where the government is spending public resources and seeking international support to restore degraded landscapes while simultaneously reducing the amount of land legally protected as public forest. The National Assembly approved the alteration of boundaries covering 14,874 acres in Mount Elgon, Turbo and Kakamega forests on June 24 following a petition submitted by Environment, Climate Change and Forestry Cabinet Secretary Deborah Barasa. The largest portion is 11,483 acres in the Chepyuk area of Mount Elgon Forest. Parliament also approved the removal of 3069 ares from the Manzini block of Turbo Forest, 235 acres at Shiru and another 89 acres at Shaviringa in Kakamega Forest. A further 2,444 acres of South Nandi Forest at Chepkumia was included in the Environment Cabinet Secretary’s original petition but was excluded from adoption because it was being considered separately by Parliament’s Public Petitions Committee. According to the National Assembly committee report, the land will be used to regularise settlements established by previous governments between the 1970s and 1990s for residents who have lived on the land for decades but cannot obtain title deeds because the settlement areas remain legally classified as forests. Parliament maintains that the decision does not involve opening intact forest for new settlements with environment committee saying the affected areas are already occupied, with little or no remaining forest cover. The decision removes the land from the protected forest estate and raises questions about the consistency of the government’s broader restoration and climate policies. President William Ruto launched the National Tree Growing and Restoration Campaign with a target of growing at least 15 billion trees by 2032. The programme, according to the government, is intended to restore degraded landscapes, increase tree cover to 30 per cent, protect water catchments and strengthen Kenya’s response to climate change The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) identifies reducing deforestation and forest degradation as essential because it preserves carbon already stored in trees and soil. In its formal submission to Parliament, the National Land Commission (NLC) opposed the degazettement, warning that public forests provide water-catchment services, regulate local climates, protect communities against floods and landslides and support agriculture, biodiversity and livelihoods. The commission argued that removing land from protected forests would conflict with Kenya’s constitutional environmental obligations and could encourage similar claims over the Aberdares, Mount Kenya, Embobut, Ngong Hills and other public forests. It described the proposal as a potential “Pandora’s box” for forest governance and recommended that legitimate settlement claims be resolved using alternative land outside protected ecosystems. Mount Elgon presents particularly serious environmental considerations given that the mountain is one of Kenya’s major water towers and forms part of a transboundary ecosystem shared with Uganda. Its forests regulate water flows, protect soil, store carbon and support wildlife and communities on both sides of the border. The Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) identifies Mount Elgon as important for biodiversity conservation, water-catchment protection and climate regulation. Rivers originating from the mountain support households, farming, livestock and wildlife across western Kenya and eastern Uganda. Kakamega Forest is also one of Kenya’s most important biodiversity areas and a remnant of the tropical rainforest ecosystem that once extended across equatorial Africa. Although the Shiru and Shaviringa settlement areas are already developed, further fragmentation and pressure around the forest boundary could affect the remaining ecosystem. The parliamentary committee concluded that environmental impact assessments showed the excisions would not harm water catchments, biodiversity or threatened species. It also reported holding community consultations and inspection visits in the affected areas. However, the publicly available 28-page report does not include the listed annexures containing the environmental assessments, detailed submissions and beneficiary documents. This makes it difficult to assess the geographical scope of the studies, the ecological indicators examined or the safeguards proposed for the remaining forests. The decision also has implications for Kenya’s international climate commitments. Kenya’s second Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) commits the country to reducing projected greenhouse-gas emissions by 35 per cent by 2035, and recognises deforestation and agricultural expansion as drivers of land-sector emissions and places forestry and ecosystem restoration withiContinue Reading

Pauline Ongaji wrote a new post

Thu, 03 Sep 2026 17:29:38 +0300

WMO Warns World to Brace for Stronger El Niño as Extreme Weather Risks Rise The World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) has warned that an intensifying El Niño is almost certain to persist until at least February 2027. The UN weather agency said El Niño is firmly established and will intensify into a very strong event in the coming months, bringing major shifts in rainfall and temperature patterns and increasing the risks of floods, drought and extreme heat. Forecasts from WMO’s Global Producing Centres indicate an “exceptionally high likelihood of nearly 100%” that El Niño will persist through February 2027. The UN weather agency said exceptionally warm conditions in the tropical Pacific Ocean are driving the intensification of the phenomenon, which is expected to reach very strong intensity before peaking towards the end of 2026. “Sea surface temperatures are rising, temperatures keep climbing, and the world is in the danger zone of extreme weather. The race now is between rising risks and our commitment to take climate action and protect people. We must win that race,” United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres said. For Kenya and other countries in East Africa, the development will heighten concerns about possible disruptions to rainfall patterns, agriculture, water resources and livelihoods. El Niño is among the most powerful naturally occurring influences on the global climate system and can significantly alter rainfall, temperatures and atmospheric circulation thousands of kilometres away from the tropical Pacific. However, WMO cautioned that a very strong El Niño does not necessarily produce the same impacts everywhere. Its effects vary depending on location and season and can be influenced by other climate drivers, including conditions in the Indian and Atlantic Oceans. This is particularly important for East Africa, where conditions in the Indian Ocean play a significant role in shaping seasonal rainfall. WMO said a positive phase of the Indian Ocean Dipole is expected to develop during the September-November 2026 period, while the equatorial Atlantic basin is also forecast to remain generally warm. The agency said these conditions could “reinforce, weaken or alter typical El Niño impacts in different regions”. For Kenya, this means that while the global El Niño forecast provides an important warning, the precise impacts on different parts of the country will depend on how several climate systems interact. WMO said national meteorological and hydrological services remain the authoritative source of official warnings and locally relevant climate information. A strong El Niño increases the likelihood of major shifts in rainfall and temperature patterns across many parts of the world. Big3Africa.org summarized report of the El Niño | Courtesy AI For some regions, this can mean unusually heavy rainfall and flooding, while others could experience suppressed rainfall, drought and worsening heat. On the continent, such climate disruptions could have serious implications for food production, water availability and livelihoods, particularly in communities that depend on rain-fed agriculture and livestock. WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo said the developing event could deliver severe consequences for communities and economies worldwide. “We are already seeing disruption and devastation from droughts and floods and we expect these impacts to increase as El Niño intensifies,” Saulo said. She called for urgent preparedness as countries brace for the possibility of an exceptional event. “This exceptional El Niño demands exceptional preparation and response,” Saulo said. “Never before in the 50-year history of the World Meteorological Organization have we launched such a major mobilization with National Meteorological and Hydrological Services who are on the frontline of delivering the forecasts and services to save lives and livelihoods.” The intensifying El Niño is being fuelled by exceptional warming across the central and eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean. Sea surface temperatures in the region, one of the key indicators of El Niño, are already well above average and continue to rise. The widely used Niño 3.4 index, which measures sea surface temperature anomalies in the central-eastern Pacific, averaged 1.5 degrees Celsius above normal between May and July 2026 before rising to 2 degrees Celsius above normal in July. Weekly values between late July and mid-August climbed further to between approximately 2.2°C and 2.6°C above average. Even more exceptional warming has been recorded below the ocean’s surface, where temperatures in some areas were more than 8°C above average during July and early August. WMO said the combination of unusually warm surface and subsurface ocean conditions provides strong support for continued El Niño conditions and further intensification in the coming months. Confidence in the outlook is high because of strong and mutually reinforcing oceanic and atmospheric signals, as well as close agreement among seasonal prediction systems. The effects of the developing El Niño will not be limited to rainfall. For September to November 2026, WMO’s multi-model forecasts indicate an increased likelihood of above-normal temperatures across almost all land areas. The agency said rainfall patterns are also expected to show a pronounced response to the strong Pacific El Niño. While El Niño is a naturally occurring climate phenomenon and is not caused by climate change, it is unfolding against a backdrop of exceptionally warm global oceans and rising temperatures. El Niño typically develops between March and June and reaches its peak intensity between November and February. Its effects on global temperatures, however, can continue beyond the period of peak ocean warming and may be most pronounced in the year following its development. This means that even after the phenomenon reaches its peak, countries could continue experiencing its climate and socio-economic consequences well into 2027. WMO said the high confidence in the forecast provides governments, humanitarian agencies, businesses and communities with valuable time to prepare. The organisation and national meteorological agencies are stepping up preparedness and early-warning efforts to help countries anticipate and respond to potential climate-related disasters. “WMO is committed to working closely with partners across the United Nations and humanitarian system to provide the climate intelligence and insights needed to support disaster management and climate-sensitive sectors like agriculture, health, energy and watContinue Reading

Peter Ngare wrote a new post

Thu, 03 Sep 2026 08:21:47 +0300

Sub-Saharan Africa’s Soils Among World’s Worst, FAO Warns of Food Security Threat Sub-Saharan Africa’s soils are in very poor condition, according to a new global assessment from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), a finding that puts the region’s agricultural production, rural livelihoods and food security at serious risk. The findings appear in the “Status of the World’s Soil Resources 2026” report, released by FAO through the Global Soil Partnership (GSP) and its scientific body, the Intergovernmental Technical Panel on Soils (ITPS). The report updates the first global soil assessment published in 2015, drawing on scientific literature from 2015 to 2025 and input from more than 300 soil experts worldwide to track how countries are managing, or failing to manage one of agriculture’s most basic resources. The report’s regional scorecard for Sub-Saharan Africa rates the state of soil erosion, loss of soil organic carbon and nutrient mismanagement across the region as very poor, with erosion and nutrient loss both flagged as deteriorating. Loss of soil biodiversity is rated poor and worsening as well. Only soil pollution and soil sealing, the paving-over of land by urban expansion, show comparatively better ratings, with pollution improving from a low base. The report attributes the accelerating strain on soils worldwide to population growth, urbanization, geopolitical instability, price shocks and market volatility, compounded by climate change. Together, it says, these forces are driving up demand for food, feed, fibre and fuel, pushing land-use change, unsustainable farming and industrial expansion that erode soil health. “Healthy soils underpin roughly 95 percent of global food production, in addition to filtering and storing water, regulating climate and sustaining biodiversity,” the report notes. “When soils degrade, the damage radiates outward undermining water cycling, nutrient cycling, climate regulation and even the physical and cultural foundations of human communities, setting back progress on multiple UN Sustainable Development Goals, including those on hunger, health, water, cities and climate.” The report says that the world is “not moving fast enough”, with about half of all regions assessed reporting a decline in the adoption of sustainable soil management practices, while only about 10 percent show real progress. FAO researchers say the problem is more about failure to scale up practices such as cover cropping, reduced tillage, organic amendments, residue retention, terracing, and improved fertilizer and nutrient management. To reverse the trend, FAO and the ITPS are calling for governments and partners to take five broad categories of action: strengthening soil governance and legal frameworks; investing in education and capacity building; improving soil assessment and monitoring; creating financial and policy incentives that reward farmers and land managers for protecting soil health; and deepening partnerships among governments, scientists, farmers, Indigenous Peoples, the private sector and civil society. “We have to remove the barriers that prevent the assessment and adoption of sustainable soil management,” said Rosa Poch, who chaired the ITPS from 2018 to 2025. Her successor, Brajesh Singh, ITPS Chair for 2025–2028, struck a similar note of urgency. “Healthy soils are one of our greatest natural allies,” he said. “We already know how to protect them. Now is the time to pContinue Reading

Neville Ng'ambwa wrote a new post

Wed, 02 Sep 2026 08:58:00 +0300

Kenya Red Cross warns 46 Counties face El Niño Flood Risk The Kenya Red Cross Society has warned that 46 of the country’s 47 counties could receive above-average rainfall in the coming months, raising the possibility of widespread flooding during the October–December short-rains season. Turkana is the only county not placed squarely in the above-average rainfall category. Kenya Red Cross Emergency Response Manager Antony Muchiri said inadequate drainage, development along natural waterways and other existing vulnerabilities could magnify the effects of the anticipated El Niño rains. “Forty-six out of Kenya’s 47 counties are at risk of receiving above-average rainfall. If the systems are not in place to manage it, flooding will occur,” Muchiri said on Tuesday. He said heavy rainfall becomes a disaster when the ground cannot absorb the volume of water and natural outlets into rivers and the ocean are obstructed. “Construction along flood paths will inevitably worsen flooding, while improper disposal of waste will block drainage systems and further increase the risk of flooding,” he said. Muchiri said soil erosion and the accumulation of silt in rivers and drainage channels could also contribute to flooding. Although many of the country’s flood paths are already known, settlements and infrastructure have continued to encroach on some of them. Preparations are underway across the country, according to the Red Cross. They include clearing and expanding drainage systems, issuing early warnings, sensitising communities in high-risk areas and preparing evacuation plans. Muchiri, however, cautioned that weaknesses in Kenya’s disaster-preparedness systems could still result in deaths and extensive property damage. “There is a lot happening behind the scenes in preparation for El Niño, but with the systems we have in place, we are still likely to suffer significant loss of lives and extensive damage,” he said. He urged national and county authorities to use existing flood-risk information when approving settlements and infrastructure projects, noting that Kenya has often concentrated on responding to disasters instead of preventing them. Muchiri also called for shelter materials, rescue equipment and other emergency supplies to be positioned before families are displaced. “We need all hands on deck. It starts at the household level, then the community and ultimately the government. The buck stops with the government,” he said. Red Cross team on its rescue mission in Kenya. | Courtesy The Red Cross warning follows an official seasonal forecast issued on August 31 by the Kenya Meteorological Service Authority, which expects above-average rainfall in most of the country during the October–December season. The forecast says the rains could continue into January in western Kenya, the Rift Valley, central Kenya and parts of the southeast. El Niño is the warm phase of a recurring climate pattern caused by changes in sea-surface temperatures and atmospheric conditions in the tropical Pacific Ocean. In East Africa, it can enhance rainfall, particularly when it occurs alongside a positive Indian Ocean Dipole, a pattern involving unusually warm waters in the western Indian Ocean relative to the eastern side. The IGAD Climate Prediction and Applications Centre said El Niño had already developed and was expected to strengthen during the remainder of 2026. A positive Indian Ocean Dipole was also anticipated, creating conditions that have historically produced enhanced rainfall across the region. The regional agency placed the probability of enhanced seasonal rainfall at about 90 per cent in northeastern Kenya, southern Ethiopia and central-to-southern Somalia. The latest warning comes as Kenya continues to recover from previous destructive rainy seasons. El Niño-enhanced rainfall in late 2023 was followed by exceptionally heavy long rains in early 2024. The combined crisis affected 46 counties, according to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. An IFRC report recorded 478 deaths, more than 240,000 affected households and over 119,000 displaced households. The rains also killed nearly 29,000 livestock, destroyed more than 65,000 acres of farmland and damaged roads, schools, health facilities and water sources. Communities that had already endured the prolonged 2021–2023 drought were among those hit by the floods, compounding livelihood losses and slowing recovery. In April 2024, water levels rose sharply in major rivers and reservoirs. Dams in the Seven Forks system began overflowing, worsening flooding along the lower Tana River, while settlements near Lake Victoria and the Nyando River remained inundated. Excessive rain may cause flash floods, landslides, waterlogging and soil erosion. Crops and livestock could be lost, transport routes disrupted and schools forced to close. It could also damage water and sanitation infrastructure, increasing the danger of cholera and other waterborne illnesses. Stagnant water and warmer temperatures may create conditions favourable for malaria, Rift Valley fever, chikungunya and other diseases. The approaching rains are expected to coincide with the school calendar, national examinations and increasing political activity ahead of the 2027 General Election, adding pressure on transport, security and emergency-Continue Reading

Big3Africa Desk wrote a new post

Wed, 02 Sep 2026 08:16:09 +0300

Kenya Activates Emergency Measures as El Niño Risk Rises Above 90 Per Cent By Dan Kaburu The government has activated emergency measures across the country after warning that Kenya faces a greater than 90 per cent likelihood of experiencing a strong El Niño event during the October – December short rains. The Ministry of Interior and National Administration says that national and county governments had begun implementing seven measures to reduce deaths, displacement and damage during the expected heavy rains. The measures include clearing drainage systems, preparing evacuation centres, monitoring rivers and dams, inspecting critical infrastructure, strengthening community early-warning systems, positioning relief supplies near vulnerable areas and placing emergency teams on standby. “Authorities are unclogging and desilting drains, culverts and other water channels to reduce flooding, particularly in urban areas. The government has identified drainage choke points and directed agencies, including the Kenya Urban Roads Authority, to clear them. “Officials are also preparing to evacuate people living on riparian land, in low-lying settlements and other flood-prone areas. Temporary holding grounds have been identified for households that may be displaced,” the ministry said in a statement. It added that water levels in rivers, lakes and dams will be monitored as the rains intensify. “Bridges, roads and essential utilities in vulnerable areas are also being inspected to identify weaknesses that could result in infrastructure failure or isolate communities.” Clogged drainages in some informal settlements in the city of Nairobi | Courtesy According to the ministry, chiefs, assistant chiefs and Nyumba Kumi representatives will be used to relay warnings and preparedness information at the community level. The ministry said rapid-response teams had been placed on standby for search-and-rescue operations, evacuations and assessments after disasters. The preparations involve county governments, security agencies, the Kenya Red Cross Society, the National Drought Management Authority, health workers and National Government Administration Officers. “Preparedness should not be mistaken for an absence of risk,” the ministry warned, saying intense rainfall could quickly overwhelm drainage networks, rivers and critical infrastructure. Kenya’s disaster assessment has identified 18 counties facing heightened exposure to El Niño-related hazards. Tana River, Kilifi, Lamu, Mombasa and Kwale face possible flooding, storm surges, coastal erosion, displacement and infrastructure damage. Kisumu, Busia, Siaya, Homa Bay and Migori could experience floods, landslides, disease outbreaks and displacement. Nairobi, Mombasa and Kisumu have been classified as high-risk urban centres because of blocked drainage systems, dense settlements and pressure on infrastructure. Turkana, Baringo, West Pokot and Narok face a combination of flash floods, landslides, livestock losses and food insecurity. Garissa, Wajir and Mandera could experience flooding in some areas while remaining vulnerable to water scarcity, poor pasture and livestock losses. The government has urged residents to follow evacuation orders and report blocked drains, rising water levels, damaged infrastructure and other emerging dangers before condContinue Reading

Pauline Ongaji wrote a new post

Wed, 02 Sep 2026 07:51:44 +0300

World on Path to Breach 1.5°C Warming Threshold, UN Warns The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has warned that the world is likely to cross 1.5°C global warming threshold within the next few years, exposing people, economies and ecosystems to increasingly severe climate risks. However, UNEP says it is still possible to limit the extent of the temperature overshoot and eventually bring global warming back below 1.5°C if countries speed up cuts in greenhouse gas emissions. The warning is contained in UNEP’s new Limiting Overshoot report, which identifies an “overshoot, peak and decline” approach as the best remaining option for limiting how high global temperatures rise and how long they remain above the 1.5°C target under the Paris Agreement. The most optimistic scenario would see global temperatures peak at 1.8°C above pre-industrial levels, while other scenarios project warming of more than 2°C. UNEP says every additional fraction of a degree above 1.5°C would increase climate risks, while prolonged periods of higher temperatures would raise the likelihood of triggering irreversible changes in the climate system. “This summer’s scorching heat, raging wildfires and deadly floods are a warning of what lies ahead. We must make the overshoot above 1.5 degrees as small and short as possible. That demands an overshoot of ambition,” UN Secretary-General António Guterres said. According to the report, exceeding 1.5°C would intensify extreme weather events, ecosystem loss and threats to food and water security. Human health, cities, infrastructure and economies would also face increasing damage, while low-lying coastal cities and Small Island Developing States would be particularly vulnerable. The report warns that the risk of crossing irreversible climate tipping points rises as temperatures increase and remain elevated for longer. Potential tipping points include the destabilisation of major ice sheets, degradation of the Amazon rainforest and disruption of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation, a major system of ocean currents that helps regulate the global climate. Some impacts could occur suddenly, while others would accumulate over time. “There are no good outcomes if we remain above 1.5°C,” said Inger Andersen, Executive Director of UNEP. “Across the globe, extreme heatwaves are already proving that climate impacts will strike faster, hit harder, and last longer, and this will cost more lives and cause deeper disruption.” Andersen called for faster action to cut greenhouse gas emissions, strengthen climate resilience and ensure that any period of warming above 1.5°C is as small and short as possible. UNEP says the proposed “overshoot, peak and decline” approach would require immediate and sustained reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, including methane, as countries work towards net-zero emissions. In the longer term, temperatures could decline through net-negative emissions, supported by carefully governed carbon dioxide removal. Carbon dioxide removal involves removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and storing it through approaches such as afforestation and other methods. But UNEP stresses that carbon dioxide removal must complement and not replace deep cuts in greenhouse gas emissions. The report says carbon dioxide removal can only credibly contribute to bringing temperatures back below 1.5°C if peak warming remains well below 2°C and residual emissions are reduced. Strong governance frameworks will also be required to ensure carbon removal is deployed responsibly and does not undermine environmental integrity or worsen inequalities. For African countries, the warning comes as communities continue to face the impacts of a changing climate, including droughts, floods, extreme rainfall, food insecurity and rising temperatures. UNEP says adaptation and mitigation must advance together, with countries prioritising measures that can both reduce emissions and strengthen resilience. Nature-based cooling, for example, can help reduce temperatures in cities while providing wider environmental benefits. However, the report warns that adaptation has limits, particularly if temperatures rise significantly above 1.5°C. UNEP says strong political will, international cooperation, effective policies, inclusive governance and climate finance will be critical to keeping the overshoot as low and brief as possible. It also argues that countries with greater historical responsibility for climate change should act faster and with greater ambition. The report further warns that returning global temperatures below 1.5°C would not reverse all climate damage. Some losses would be irreversible, while communities could be forced to relocate or change their livelihoods as environmental conditions permanently change. This could create new challenges around climate justice, political legitimacy and governance. “Every fraction of a degree matters, and every year spent in overshoot increases climate risks and the potential for irreversible losses,” said Murat Kurum, President-Designate of COP31. He called for faster electrification, reductions in methane emissions, stronger climate resilience in cities and greater protection of marine and coastal ecosystems. UNEP says the “overshoot, peak and decline” approach remains possible, but warns that immediate action is needed to keep itContinue Reading

Dan Kaburu wrote a new post

Tue, 01 Sep 2026 11:16:49 +0300

High Electricity Costs Threaten Kenya’s Universal Access Goal High electricity prices could undermine Kenya’s plan to achieve universal energy access by 2030, even as the country expands connections and generates most of its power from renewable sources. The concern has been raised by energy and climate stakeholders during a Nairobi workshop on Kenya’s implementation of Mission 300, a joint initiative by the African Development Bank (AfDB) and World Bank Group to connect an additional 300 million people in Africa to electricity by 2030. Under Kenya’s Mission 300 National Energy Compact, African governments are preparing National Energy Compacts covering electricity-sector reforms, grid expansion, renewable energy, clean cooking and private investment. The initiative combines national-grid connections with mini-grids and stand-alone solar systems for remote and underserved communities. During the workshop supported by Christian Aid through the Africa Energy Advocacy Project, it was noted that civil society and interfaith actors are key connectors in advancing Decentralized Renewable Energy (DRE) and inclusive energy access, highlighting the trusted community reach and social accountability that faith institutions bring to Kenya’s energy transition. Kenya’s National Energy Compact seeks to increase electricity access from about 75 per cent to 100 per cent by 2030, expand renewable generation and provide universal access to clean cooking. However, participants warned that a household connection does not guarantee access if families cannot afford to use electricity. “Power bills remain very high. In homes where rural electrification has been successful, many families cannot cope with the bills and therefore return to fuelwood,” Vihiga Governor Dr Wilber Ottichilo said. Reliance on firewood, charcoal and other polluting fuels exposes households to harmful smoke. An estimate cited during the workshop attributed about 27,000 deaths in Kenya each year to household air pollution, with women and children facing the greatest exposure. Ottichilo said high power costs were also encouraging county governments to install decentralised renewable-energy systems instead of relying entirely on the national grid. “Vihiga County is solarising water projects, street lighting and other facilities that require electricity to reduce expensive Kenya Power bills,” he said. According to the governor, about 20 counties have developed green-energy policies, with some allocating between two and five per cent of their budgets to renewable-energy programmes. Kenya Climate Change Working Group (KCCWG) chairman Dr John Kioli called for faster implementation of the transition to affordable renewable energy. “It is time for Kenya and the continent to implement the green energy transition and address the critical need for energy in homes to power Africa’s development,” Kioli said. Participants called for civil society, faith organisations and local communities to be involved in implementing and monitoring Kenya’s compact. They said success should be measured not just by the number of connections installed, but also by whether households receive reliable electricity at prices they can afford. “The civil society and faith actors are essential partners in making sure investment reaches the communities that need it most.” Said, Elizabeth Wanja, Coordinator, KCCWG. The workshop presented a communiqué for a collective commitment to strengthen CSO and inter-faith coordination, promote meaningful participation in Mission 300 and national energy planning. “This gives CSOs and faith actors a practical, structured way to engage AfDB and government on energy investment decisions that affect their communities.” Said, Jacqueline Kimeu, Energy and Climate Change Advisor,Continue Reading

Neville Ng'ambwa wrote a new post

Mon, 31 Aug 2026 11:09:16 +0300

Lake Bogoria Overflow Threatens Baringo’s Freshwater Ecosystem Rising water levels in Kenya’s Rift Valley are threatening to create a connection between saline Lake Bogoria and freshwater Lake Baringo, potentially exposing fish, aquatic habitats and fishing communities to a damaging change in water chemistry. The immediate danger is that Bogoria could overflow towards Baringo, carrying dissolved salts and highly alkaline water into an ecosystem that supports freshwater species. The greatest concern is a change in conditions beyond what Baringo’s freshwater organisms can tolerate. Sustained high pH can damage fish gills, skin and eyes, reduce growth and reproduction, and ultimately cause deaths. It can also increase the toxicity of ammonia already present in the water. Damage could extend through the food chain, because changes affecting plankton and aquatic invertebrates could reduce food for fish, while declining fish populations would affect predators and fishing livelihoods. Sensitive organisms could also disappear from affected areas while more tolerant species become dominant. For lakeside households, ecological disruption could translate into reduced catches, lost earnings and greater pressure on food supplies as significant salinisation could restrict the suitability of water for irrigation and other uses. A 2024 study in the Journal of Hydrology: Regional Studies placed Bogoria’s spill point at approximately 1,000.2 metres above sea level. At its 2020 maximum, the lake needed to rise only another 70 centimetres to reach that threshold. However, its level subsequently declined by about 1.5 metres by 2023, demonstrating why historical measurements cannot establish today’s overflow risk. Bogoria’s own ecology is already under pressure from rising freshwater inputs. Kenya Wildlife Service says dilution of saline lakes changes the conditions needed by Arthrospira fusiformis, the microscopic cyanobacterium commonly called spirulina that feeds lesser flamingos. When that food supply declines, flamingos move elsewhere. KWS reports that changing lake chemistry has affected Bogoria, Nakuru and Elementaita. Research points to increased rainfall as a principal driver of the regional rise. A 2021 analysis of Baringo, Bogoria, Nakuru, Solai, Elementaita and Naivasha linked their expansion to changes in rainfall and water balance. Many Rift Valley lakes lack surface outlets, making them sensitive to persistent surpluses: when rainfall and inflows exceed evaporation and other losses, water accumulates Climate change adds to the risk, but does not provide a complete explanation for every lake’s fluctuations. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) projects increasingly intense heavy rainfall in eastern Africa. Natural variability, including El Niño and the Indian Ocean Dipole, also influences rainfall, particularly during the short-rains season. Catchment degradation compounds the problem. A 2025 European Commission Joint Research Centre assessment documented forest loss, expanding cropland and increasing soil erosion around five Kenyan Rift Valley lakes. Degraded land can accelerate runoff and deliver sediment into lakes, altering shallow areas and worsening flooding. The effects extend beyond Baringo and Bogoria. NASA reports that Naivasha’s water level rose about seven metres between 2010 and 2026, while its area expanded roughly 40 per cent, flooding homes, flower farms and infrastructure. Kenya Meteorological Department reported that levels in Nakuru, Naivasha and Turkana surpassed their 2020 peaContinue Reading

Dan Kaburu wrote a new post

Mon, 31 Aug 2026 10:30:44 +0300

Faith Groups Urged to Prepare Shelters Ahead of Anticipated El Niño Faith leaders in Kenya have been urged to prepare emergency shelters and set aside funds to help communities at risk of flooding during the October–December rainy season. Dr John Kioli, chairman of the Kenya Climate Change Working Group (KCCWG), called on religious institutions to prepare early, warning that residents of informal settlements and people with disabilities could face particular difficulties when floods strike. His appeal recalls the devastation of the 2024 floods, which exposed the vulnerability of densely populated neighbourhoods in Nairobi. During the March–May long rains, floodwaters inundated homes and displaced residents, with Mathare, Kibera and Mukuru among the hardest-hit informal settlements. Kioli said faith institutions could play a critical role in providing refuge and assistance, building on the longstanding role of churches, mosques, temples and other places of worship as temporary shelters for displaced families. He was speaking in Nairobi at a national capacity-building workshop for civil society organisations and faith actors on engagement with African Development Bank (AfDB) policy frameworks and the Mission 300 National Energy Compact. KCCWG organised the workshop with support from Christian Aid through the Africa Energy Advocacy Project. “With El Nino prediction showing over 80% accuracy, faith partners should be in the forefront to offer support to people who will be displaced by floods especially in the informal settlements,” Kioli said. He urged religious institutions to establish dedicated budgets for flood response and other environmental emergencies, and to ensure their preparations address the needs of people with disabilities. “Faith groups should identify where people with disabilities live and establish ways to reach them quickly during an emergency,” he said. In Nairobi’s low-income neighbourhoods, the 2024 damage was compounded by crowded housing, fragile structures and inadequate sanitation. Human Rights Watch reported severe effects in Mathare, Mukuru Kwa Njenga and Kariobangi, where flooding left residents homeless and heightened the risk of disease. For some families, the 2024 crisis extended beyond the floodwaters as authorities demolished homes in Mathare and Mukuru as part of efforts to clear flood-prone areas, adding to the upheaval facing residents alrContinue Reading

Neville Ng'ambwa wrote a new post

Mon, 31 Aug 2026 10:17:38 +0300

Horn Of Africa Steps Up Displacement Forecasts As El Niño Raises Flood Risk The IGAD Climate Prediction and Applications Centre (ICPAC) is strengthening efforts to forecast displacement caused by droughts and floods across the Greater Horn of Africa, as El Niño raises the risk of heavy rainfall that could damage homes, crops and infrastructure. The initiative will combine climate forecasts with information on livelihoods, poverty and previous population movements to help governments and humanitarian agencies identify threatened communities and act before people are forced to flee. This comes as the region prepares for potentially wetter conditions. An August 2026 outlook from ICPAC and national weather services have indicated an increased likelihood of above-normal rainfall during October to December, linked to a strengthening El Niño and conditions in the Indian Ocean. The ICPAC’s displacement forecasting approach was discussed at a regional consultation in Machakos, Kenya, under the Human Mobility in the Context of Disasters and Climate Change project (MoDIAC). The project brings together ICPAC, the Danish Refugee Council, IGAD member states, GIZ and other technical partners. Regional Experts Meet to Strengthen Action on Disaster Risk Management and Mobility, December, 2026 | Courtesy “Climate-related mobility is not caused by climate hazards alone,” ICPAC said in its summary of the meeting. “Poverty, conflict, dependence on farming and livestock, and weak preparedness can determine whether a drought or flood forces people to leave. Families with limited savings or access to assistance may struggle to recover after losing a harvest, livestock or a home.” ICPAC already produces forecasts showing likely rainfall conditions one to three months ahead, and MoDIAC aims to link these forecasts with data on vulnerable communities to estimate where displacement could occur, how many people could be affected and what assistance they might need. The information could help authorities position food and other supplies before roads are cut off, protect livestock and infrastructure, and issue warnings that give communities time to prepare or evacuate. The World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) says extreme weather and climate change are worsening hunger, insecurity and displacement across Africa, with droughts and floods The World Bank estimates that up to 86 million people in Sub-Saharan Africa could become internal climate migrants by 2050 under a pessimistic scenario. It identifies water scarcity, declining crop productivity and other slow-developing climate impacts as pressureContinue Reading

Peter Ngare wrote a new post

Fri, 28 Aug 2026 16:21:01 +0300

Study Links Climate Change to Unprecedented El Niño Intensity Climate change may be making El Niño and its far-reaching weather disruptions more intense than at any time in the past 1,000 years, according to a new study. The research, published in the journal Science on August 27, found that ocean-temperature variations associated with the El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO), have been substantially greater during the past 40 years than during the pre-industrial period. ENSO is a naturally occurring fluctuation between unusually warm conditions, known as El Niño, and unusually cool conditions, called La Niña, in the central and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean. Although it begins thousands of kilometres from Africa, the cycle alters atmospheric circulation and can shift rainfall, temperature and storm patterns worldwide. Researchers found that eastern-Pacific ENSO temperature variability during the past four decades was 36.5 per cent greater than during the pre-industrial period between AD 1000 and 1850. It was also 16.2 per cent greater than during the period from 1850 to 1981. The study, led by University of Michigan palaeoclimatologist Julia Cole, provides some of the strongest observational evidence yet that human-caused global warming is changing the behaviour of this natural climate cycle. “ENSO is the leading source of year-to-year climate extremes globally,” the researchers say. El Niño often favours increased rainfall in East Africa during the October-to-December short-rains season. Its effects can become especially powerful when it coincides with a positive Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD), another ocean pattern involving warmer-than-normal water in the western Indian Ocean. The latest regional outlook has made the new study particularly relevant. The World Meteorological Organization says the Greater Horn of Africa is likely to experience warmer and wetter-than-usual conditions during the October to December short rains as the current El Niño strengthens. Parts of north-eastern Kenya have a 90 per cent probability of above-normal rainfall, while sections of central Kenya and the Lake Victoria Basin could receive more than 400 millimetres during the season. The October-to-December rains provide as much as 70 per cent of annual rainfall in some parts of Kenya, Ethiopia and Somalia, making disruption during this period especially consequential for farming and food security. WMO cautions that the forecast also points to greater risks of flooding, crop destruction, disease and infrastructure damage⁠. Each El Niño behaves differently, however. Its effects depend on its strength, location, duration and interaction with the Indian Ocean and other climate systems. While it is commonly associated with wetter short rains in the Horn of Africa, it can suppress rainfall across parts of Southern Africa. Previous events have contributed to major crop losses, livestock deaths, reduced hydropower generation and rising food prices in countries already facing poverty, conflContinue Reading

Peter Ngare wrote a new post

Fri, 28 Aug 2026 16:09:29 +0300

Mount Kenya Remaining Glacier to Disappear in Three Years Mount Kenya has lost nearly 96 per cent of its glacier area since the beginning of the twentieth century, leaving the Kenya’s highest mountain with only scattered patches of ice that scientists expect to disappear by 2030. The World Meteorological Organization’s State of the Climate in Africa 2025 report shows that glacier cover on Mount Kenya declined from 1.64 square kilometres in 1906 to just 0.07 square kilometres in 2021/2022. The decline is the most severe by proportion among Africa’s three surviving glacier systems. The others are on Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania and the Rwenzori Mountains along the Uganda –Democratic Republic of the Congo border. Together, the three mountains have lost more than 90 per cent of their glacier area since the late nineteenth century, according to WMO. Kilimanjaro’s ice shrank from 11.4 square kilometres in 1900 to about 0.98 square kilometres in recent years. In the Rwenzori Mountains, glacier cover fell from 6.51 square kilometres in 1906 to 0.38 square kilometres by 2021/2022, meaning that Mount Kenya now has the smallest surviving glacier area of the three. The retreat is visible on Lewis Glacier, historically the mountain’s largest and most closely studied ice body. Research published in the journal Geosciences found that Lewis Glacier lost 46 per cent of its surface area and 57 per cent of its volume between 2004 and 2016. Its deterioration accelerated after 2010 as thinning ice exposed a rock outcrop that split the glacier into separate sections. Smaller and disconnected ice patches have more edges exposed to sunlight, warmer air and heated rock, making them more vulnerable than a continuous glacier. Climate change is creating the conditions driving this retreat, although the process is more complicated than warm air simply melting the ice. A glacier survives when snow accumulating on its surface is sufficient to replace ice lost through melting, sublimation and other processes. A study of Lewis Glacier published in The Cryosphere found that the glacier is receiving insufficient snowfall while experiencing enhanced ice loss. Its condition is particularly sensitive to atmospheric moisture, which controls snowfall, cloud formation and the amount of sunlight absorbed by the surface. Rising temperatures intensify the problem by lifting the atmospheric freezing level, increasing melting and causing some precipitation to fall as rain instead of snow. Mount Kenya and the Rwenzori glaciers lie close to the regional freezing level, making them particularly sensitive to relatively small temperature changes. The central part of Mount Kenya with Batian (front) and Nelion (back) and typical afroalpine vegetation of Giant Lobelias and Giant Groundsel. The western rock face with the melting glaciers of Mt. Kenya. | Courtesy (Martin Zwick/REDA&CO Kilimanjaro is different because much of its ice lies well above the average freezing level. Research indicates that reduced atmospheric moisture and snowfall, followed by radiation-driven ice loss, have played especially important roles there. In the Rwenzori Mountains, scientists have identified rising temperatures, reduced cloud cover and increased solar radiation as interacting causes. These local processes are unfolding within a wider warming trend. WMO reports that Africa has been warming faster than the global average and that its warming rate since 1991 has been substantially higher than during preceding 30-year periods. Africa’s average land temperature in 2025 was approximately 0.51°C above the 1991–2020 average. Mount Kenya feeds tributaries of the Tana and Ewaso Ng’iro systems, including the Naro Moru, Nanyuki, Burguret, Likii, Kathita, Nyamindi, Thiba and Sagana rivers. These waters support homes, farms, wildlife, irrigation and electricity generation. However, the major rivers are not sustained principally by the remaining glaciers. Rainfall, montane forests, high-altitude wetlands, soils and groundwater provide most downstream flow. Water captured by the mountain’s forests and moorlands infiltrates the ground and is gradually released through springs and rivers. Evidence from the Rwenzori Mountains demonstrates the limited contribution of the surviving ice to large rivers. Field measurements found that glacier melt accounted for considerably less than two per cent of river discharge at the base of the mountains during both wet and dry periods. Mount Kenya’s glaciers may still influence small headwater streams and high-altitude lakes and their disappearance could change water temperature, seasonal flow, sediment and water chemistry near the summit, affecting aquatic organisms adapted to cold conditions. But declining downstream river flows cannot credibly be attributed to glacier loss alone. Rainfall variability, forest degradation, groundwater changes and increasing human abstraction are likely to have much larger effects. The environmental loss extends beyond river volumes. Retreating ice exposes unstable rock and debris, potentially increasing local rockfalls and slope failure. Alpine plants and animals confined to cold environments face shrinking habitats, while glacier-fed tarns and streams may undergo permanent ecological changes. Economically, the disappearance threatens an important element of East Africa’s tourism identity. The ice-capped peaks of Mount Kenya, Kilimanjaro and the Rwenzori draw climbers, hikers and researchers from around the world. Vanishing ice will alter scenery, climbing conditions and some established routes, although no reliable assessment has quantified the tourism revenue specifically attributable to the glaciers. Mount Kenya is also a national park, biosphere reserve and UNESCO World Heritage Site. Its glaciers form part of the landscape’s scientific, cultural and spiritual significance, particularly for communities that regard thContinue Reading

Correspondent wrote a new post

Fri, 28 Aug 2026 15:26:41 +0300

How Women in Narok are Restoring Land and Reshaping Lives By Juliet Akoth Ojwang Before dawn breaks over Eor Ewaso, a village in Narok County, Judy Mukut is already awake. By 6:30 a.m., she has fetched water, milked the family’s cattle, prepared breakfast, cleaned the house and seen her children off to school. Only then does she leave for a resource center run by the Paran Women Group, where another day of conservation work begins. For Mukut, conserving the Mau Forest must fit into the few hours left after fulfilling the responsibilities expected of her as a Maasai wife and mother. Yet this balancing act reflects a quieter transformation taking place across one of Kenya’s most important forest ecosystems. As Indigenous women restore degraded sections of the forest, they are also earning independent incomes, participating in household decisions and reviving traditional ecological knowledge that sustained their communities for generations. Founded in 2005, the Paran Women Group has grown into a network of 64 registered Indigenous women’s groups, primarily drawn from Maasai and Ogiek communities in Narok County, with members also in West Pokot and Samburu counties. Through community-managed tree nurseries, kitchen gardens, village savings groups, beekeeping and landscape restoration, Paran has connected environmental conservation with women’s empowerment. To coordinate its expanding network, Paran established seven community resource centers that serve as demonstration and learning sites where women raise seedlings, receive technical training and exchange traditional knowledge. “The work has taught us how to organize ourselves,” Mukut said. “Even with all the responsibilities at home, we have learned that if we plan our day well, we can still attend meetings, take care of our families and contribute to restoring the environment. We are no longer waiting for other people to make decisions because we know our contribution matters.” With funding from the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida), Vi Agroforestry has supported Paran’s members in using agroforestry as a practical bridge between landscape restoration and household well-being. By integrating trees with crops, women can improve soil health and farm resilience, diversify their incomes and reduce pressure on surrounding forests. The support has strengthened a model designed around women’s daily realities. Tree nurseries, kitchen gardens and other livelihood activities are established close to women’s homes, allowing them to participate without abandoning their family responsibilities. The approach recognizes that lasting restoration depends not only on planting trees but also on strengthening the people who care for them. For Nancy Letina, chairperson of Namaiyana Women’s Group within the Paran network, joining the organization in 2021 transformed both her understanding of conservation and her family’s economic future. Esther Kigen, an Ogiek woman and member of the Paran-affiliated Masi group, tends leafy vegetables at a farm in Eor Ewaso village. Courtesy Juliet Ojwang. “Previously, as Maasai women, we depended on our husbands for everything, even household items like salt,” Letina said. Her circumstances changed dramatically in 2019 when her husband died, leaving her responsible for providing for their four children. The first two years were difficult. Together with several women facing similar hardships in Olomaiayana-Iltirben village in Melelo Ward, Letina formed a self-help group whose members supported one another during times of need. Their prospects began to improve when the group joined Paran and received training in sustainable livelihood activities. “We gained knowledge that showed us that every woman can also fend for herself,” Letina said. “Today, women have their own income. We can pay school fee arrears when our children are sent home and respond to emergencies without waiting for assistance.” Her group manages a 0.2-hectare tree nursery where members grow Indigenous species that supports biodiversity, contributes to forest restoration and widely used in traditional medicine. Since joining Paran, Letina’s group has sold 10,600 Indigenous tree seedlings to the organization, with the proceeds supporting individual members and collective activities. Members also participate in village savings and loan programs with weekly contributions of as little as 100 Kenyan shillings, allowing women to borrow between 2,000 and 8,000 shillings during emergencies. These loans help families pay school fees, invest in small businesses or purchase livestock without resorting to cutting trees for charcoal or harvesting timber. Esther Kigen, a member of the Masi Group, said Paran’s training on women’s rights has encouraged women to participate in family decisions traditionally reserved for men. For Ntoiye Kimorgo of Naretoi Women’s Group, restoration is equally about protecting Indigenous knowledge. A traditional herbal practitioner, she encourages every woman in her group to plant native medicinal trees alongside vegetables because the plants remain central to Maasai health care and culture. “These trees have always helped us treat different illnesses,” Kimorgo said. “If they disappear, we lose more than a forest. We lose knowledge that has been passed from our grandparents to us. Every woman in our group has planted medicinal trees because we know their value.” Older women mentor younger members through storytelling, seed collection, nursery management and demonstrations of the medicinal uses of native plants. Kitchen gardens producing kale, jute mallow, amaranth and other traditional vegetables improve household nutrition while generating additional income through local markets. Paran Executive Director Naiyan Kiplagat said the organization’s work has always been about more than restoring degraded forests. From the outset, Paran sought to address the environmental and social challenges facing Indigenous women simultaneously, recognizing that conservation cannot be sustained without strengthening the communities that depend on the forest. Unlike restoration initiatives that prioritize fast-growing exotic trees, Paran focuses mainly on Indigenous species that once dominated the Mau ecosystem. For Kiplagat, who is Ogiek and connected to the Maasai community through marriage, protecting these species also means protecting the knowledge associated with them. “We believe in traditional knowledge, innovation and collective action,” she said. “If our elders leave without passing that knowledge to the younger generation, then we lose something very important. Conservation is not only about planting trees. It is also about making sure our children understand why those trees matter.” Paran has also received support from several development partners. These include TerraFund under the AFR100 Landscapes program, an initiative supported by the World Resources Institute, and the United Nations Development Programme’s Climate Promise, which combines agroforestry with community-resilience activities. Members of different women’s groups distributing indigenous tree seedlings to be planted in Mau. | Courtesy Paran Women Group Kiplagat said these partnerships have demonstrated that Indigenous women can lead restoration at scale when they receive adequate financial and technical support. Paran’s achievements have also gained international recognition, including the Gender Justice Climate Solutions Award presented during COP28 in Dubai in 2023. The Kenya Forest Service has become one of Paran’s closest technical partners. It provides guidance on species selection, nursery establishment, site matching and restoration methods, while the women mobilize communities and raise Indigenous seedlings. Frederick Kibichi, a forester in Narok South Sub-county, said the partnership has produced encouraging ecological results despite increasingly frequent droughts. Beyond restoring forest blocks, Paran has supplied Indigenous seedlings to schools and community tree-planting activities. Humphrey Omollo, an assistant county commissioner for Ololulunga Division in Narok South Sub-county, said government participation in these activities strengthens community ownership while recognizing women as environmental leaders. Although agroforestry can restore degraded landscapes and strengthen livelihoods, dryland agroforestry has historically received limited political attention. The East African Dryland Agroforestry Expert Group was established through the support of VI Agroforestry to help address this gap by providing policymakers with scientific evidence, practical knowledge and community perspectives. The transformation is reshaping local expectations. Men have begun creating groups affiliated with Paran after witnessing women improve their livelihoods through tree nurseries, kitchen gardens and savings programs. Vincent Leteipa, a 31-year-old resident of Eor Ewaso, said he was inspired by women in his community who had strengthened their livelihoods through these activities. For Mukut and hundreds of other Indigenous women, restoring the Mau Forest is about far more than repairing a damaged ecosystem. It is about creating livelihoods that reduce pressure on the forest, safeguarding traditional ecological knowledge and demonstrating that conservation is strongest when the people who have lived alongside a landscape for generations are trusted to lead its recovery. Through Vi Agroforestry’s support and the Expert Group’s policy engagement, their experience is also helping shape a wider understanding of women-led agroforestry. The work taking place in Paran shows that restoring East Africa’s vulnerable landscapes about strengthening livelihoods, sharing power and ensuring that community knowledge reaches the tables where decisions are made. The article has been republished from Mongabay. https://news.mongabay.com/2026/08/meet-the-indigenous-women-restoring-kenyas-Continue Reading

Peter Ngare wrote a new post

Wed, 26 Aug 2026 18:00:54 +0300

Kenya Met Warns of Intense Short Rains as El Niño Strengthens Kenya is likely to experience unusually heavy rainfall during the October-to-December short-rains season, with some areas facing an 85 to 90 per cent likelihood of above-normal rainfall, according to a national forecast issued on Wednesday, August 26. The Kenya Meteorological Service Authority said the expected strengthening of El Niño, together with evolving conditions in the Indian Ocean, could increase rainfall over large parts of the country. Some areas may begin receiving pre-season showers in September before the main rains become established in October. The outlook was released at the conclusion of the 13th National Climate Outlook Forum, held from August 24 to 26 to assess the likely performance and effects of the 2026 short rains. The wettest conditions are expected over parts of the Coast, north-eastern Kenya, the Lake Victoria Basin, central highlands and Rift Valley. Nairobi and other major urban centres are also exposed to flooding if intense rainfall overwhelms drainage systems. Kenya Met, however, cautioned that the presence of El Niño does not guarantee heavy rainfall in every part of the country. “Under evolving El Niño conditions, preparedness must be strengthened. However, El Niño does not automatically mean heavy rainfall everywhere; other atmospheric and oceanic factors must continue to be monitored,” Kenya Met Director Edward Muriuki said during the opening of the forum. El Niño is a periodic warming of the central and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean that alters atmospheric circulation and rainfall patterns around the world. In East Africa, it is often associated with wetter short-rains seasons, but its local influence depends partly on conditions in the Indian Ocean. A positive Indian Ocean Dipole, in which waters in the western Indian Ocean become warmer than those in the east, can direct additional moisture towards East Africa and intensify rainfall. The combination of El Niño and a positive dipole contributed to severe flooding in Kenya in 1997 and 2023. The national outlook is consistent with a regional forecast released by the IGAD Climate Prediction and Applications Centre on August 18. The regional assessment⁠� gives north-eastern Kenya a greater than 90 per cent probability of receiving above-normal rainfall. It also indicates that central Kenya and the Lake Victoria Basin have a greater than 90 per cent probability of accumulating more than 400 millimetres of rain between October and December. Early or normal onset is more likely in central and eastern Kenya, although the precise timing will differ between locations. The forecast presents mixed prospects for farmers and pastoralists. Adequate rainfall could improve soil moisture, replenish water sources and support the recovery of pasture in arid and semi-arid counties. Farmers could also benefit from a longer growing period if they receive timely advice on planting dates and suitable crops. Excessive rain, however, could waterlog farms, wash away seed and fertiliser and destroy crops nearing maturity. Flooding could kill livestock, restrict access to grazing areas and markets, and increase outbreaks of animal diseases. Communities living near the Tana, Athi-Galana-Sabaki, Nzoia, Nyando, Ewaso Ng’iro, Kerio, Turkwel and Mara river systems face additional danger because heavy rainfall upstream can send large volumes of water into downstream settlements, even where local rainfall is not exceptionally high. The government has identified 18 counties requiring priority preparedness because of their exposure to flooding, landslides, drought, food insecurity and disease outbreaks. They include Tana River, Kilifi, Lamu, Kwale, Busia, Siaya, Homa Bay, Migori, Turkana, West Pokot, Narok, Baringo, Garissa, Wajir and Mandera. Nairobi, Mombasa and Kisumu have been listed among the high-risk urban centres. In Nairobi, informal settlements located near rivers and poorly drained neighbourhoods face the greatest danger. Blocked drainage channels, construction on waterways and inadequate storm-water systems can turn intense rainfall into destructive flash floods within hours. Hilly areas of West Pokot, Elgeyo Marakwet, Murang’a, Nyeri, Meru, Narok and parts of the western highlands could experience landslides where prolonged rain saturates soils. Road cuts, cultivated slopes and areas stripped of vegetation may be especially unstable. Public-health risks could also rise. Floodwater can contaminate wells and piped-water systems, while stagnant water provides breeding sites for mosquitoes. Damage to roads and bridges may interrupt access to schools, hospitals and markets. Kenya Met said forecasts must be translated into early decisions rather than treated merely as warnings. “Climate information must be understandable, relevant and actionable,” Muriuki said. County governments now have several weeks to clear drains, inspect bridges, reinforce vulnerable riverbanks, mark evacuation routes and prepare temporary shelters. Farmers and pastoralists will require local advisories because the national forecast does not mean that rain will begin on the same date or fall evenly iContinue Reading

Neville Ng'ambwa wrote a new post

Tue, 25 Aug 2026 09:39:54 +0300

Climate Money Risks Deepening Africa’s Soil and Biodiversity Crisis – Report Billions of dollars intended to help Africa adapt to climate change could become a new source of funding for the input-intensive agricultural model blamed for degrading soils, reducing crop diversity and expanding cultivation onto more land, a new report warns. The report, The Green Revolution Has Failed Africa, argues that climate finance is becoming increasingly important to agricultural programmes as traditional bilateral support declines. But without stricter tests, it says, projects built around commercial seeds, synthetic fertiliser and large-scale production could be labelled climate adaptation even when there is little evidence that they make farmers more resilient. Published by the Alliance for Food Sovereignty in Africa (AFSA), the report examines 18 years of agricultural data from 13 countries prioritised by the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA). Its warning centres partly on the Green Climate Fund’s US$105 million RE-GAIN programme, implemented with AGRA to reduce post-harvest food losses. The report acknowledges that preventing such losses can support adaptation, but calls for clear criteria to ensure climate funding does not sustain input-intensive production without demonstrating gains in resilience. It also points to the African Development Bank, which reported US$5.9 billion, or 54 percent of its 2025 approvals, as climate finance. AFSA wants the bank to disclose how much climate-labelled agricultural funding supports fertiliser-dependent systems and to redirect a growing share towards diversified, low-input and agroecological farming. The report’s concern is that a change in funding language may not amount to a change in the underlying agricultural model. For instance, programmes once justified by the need to raise yields and modernise farming can now be presented as climate-smart or adaptive, even where their environmental and livelihood outcomes remain uncertain. Across the 13 AGRA focus countries, fertiliser use more than doubled between 2006 and 2024, but weighted staple-crop yields grew by an average of 1.2 percent annually. That was slightly below the 1.3 percent annual growth recorded during the 12 years preceding AGRA’s launch, according to the report. Cropped land, meanwhile, expanded by 46 percent. The authors argue that this shows production increases came partly from putting more land under cultivation rather than achieving the promised gains in productivity on existing farms. Such expansion carries direct environmental costs where it involves forests, grazing areas, wetlands or already degraded land. It can also increase pressure on water and expose soils to erosion, particularly where the new cultivation is dominated by a small number of crops. The changing crop mix is another concern. The report says millet and sorghum declined from 26 percent to 16 percent of cultivated land across the focus countries as maize production expanded by 71 percent while yields rose by 40 percent. Millet and sorghum are generally more tolerant of dry conditions than maize. Their decline could therefore leave farmers more exposed to drought and erratic rainfall, the very risks that climate-adaptation finance is intended to address. It may also narrow diets, local food cultures and the genetic diversity available to farmers as weather conditions change. The report further associates continuous use of synthetic fertiliser with soil acidification, especially when fertiliser is applied without sufficient organic matter or appropriate soil management. Degraded soil retains less water, supports fewer organisms and can become increasingly expensive to farm as producers depend on repeated external inputs. Synthetic fertiliser can raise yields where soils are nutrient-deficient, and the report does not call for an immediate ban. It argues that fertiliser should not remain the organising principle of African agricultural investment while longer-term soil health and farmer dependence receive inadequate attention. AFSA advocates diversified agroecological systems that integrate crops, trees and livestock; maintain ground cover; rebuild soil organic matter; and support locally adapted, farmer-managed seed. According to the report, these practices can improve water retention and give farmers more options when rainfall, pestsContinue Reading

Dan Kaburu wrote a new post

Tue, 25 Aug 2026 07:18:39 +0300

Subsidized Fertilizer, Seeds Fails to Stem Rising Hunger in Kenya, Report Says Kenya’s population of chronically undernourished people more than doubled to over 20 million during nearly two decades in which the country promoted commercial seeds, synthetic fertiliser and input subsidies, according to a new report questioning the results of Africa’s Green Revolution model. The report, The Green Revolution Has Failed Africa, says Kenya’s experience reflects a wider regional pattern where governments and donors increased support for fertiliser and improved seed, but staple-crop productivity did not accelerate and hunger continued to rise. Published by the Alliance for Food Sovereignty in Africa (AFSA), the study examines data from 2006 to 2024 in 13 countries prioritised by AGRA, formerly the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa. They include Kenya, Ethiopia, Ghana, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Burkina Faso and Niger. Across those countries, fertiliser use more than doubled, while the weighted yield of staple crops grew by an average of 1.2 percent a year. That was slightly below the 1.3 percent annual growth recorded during the 12 years before AGRA was launched in 2006, the report says. At the same time, cultivated land expanded by 46 percent, suggesting that much of the additional food production came from bringing more land under crops rather than producing substantially more from existing farmland. “This is expansion, not agricultural transformation,” the report says. The findings challenge a central promise of the input-led approach, which argued that wider use of commercial seed and fertiliser would rapidly raise yields and farmer incomes, ultimately reducing hunger. AGRA initially pledged to double yields and incomes for 30 million smallholder households and halve food insecurity by 2020. The report says those targets were not achieved. For Kenya, its most striking claim is that the number of undernourished people more than doubled to over 20 million. Across all 13 focus countries, the number rose by 58 percent, from 94.6 million to 149.6 million. The report does not establish that fertiliser or AGRA’s activities caused the increase in hunger. Kenya’s population grew substantially over the period, while drought, the Covid-19 pandemic, high food and fuel prices, income inequality and disruptions in global grain and fertiliser markets also affected access to food. Hunger totals should therefore be considered alongside population-adjusted prevalence rates. Government food subsidy in a warehouse. | Courtesy FoodBusiness Nevertheless, the authors argue that the figures undermine the assumption that subsidised inputs and higher production automatically produce affordable food, improved diets or better household incomes. Kenya has committed considerable public money to that model. Citing AGRA’s own policy studies, the report puts Kenyan fertiliser-subsidy spending at about US$72 million a year between 2017 and 2022, the highest figure cited among the countries reviewed. It also refers to commissioned research that found no significant effect on net crop income in Kenya. These claims raise questions about value for money, who receives subsidised inputs and whether spending on fertiliser has displaced investment in extension, local seed systems, soil restoration, storage and markets. The report is not an argument for abruptly withdrawing support from farmers, many of whom depend on subsidies to afford inputs. Instead, it calls for governments to redirect part of their existing subsidy budgets towards diversified agroecological farming, public extension and farmer-managed seed systems. The environmental implications are also significant. Across the focus countries, the share of farmland planted with millet and sorghum fell from 26 percent to 16 percent as maize cultivation expanded. Millet and sorghum are generally better adapted to dry conditions, and the report argues that their decline weakens resilience to erratic rainfall while narrowing diets and on-farm biodiversity. Kenya, however, is also emerging as an important test of the proposed alternative. The country launched its National Agroecology Strategy for Food System Transformation 2024–2033, with an estimated cost of Sh26.8 billion. The strategy promotes healthier soils, crop diversity, biological inputs, indigenous knowledge and reduced dependence on expensive external inputs. Implementation at national level, however, remains uncertain. The report says many African agroecology strategies have been adopted without adequate budgets, indicators or institutional support. In Kenya, it finds that evidence of field-level impact is still limited. According to the report, several county governments appear to be moving faster. Murang’a enacted an Agroecology Development Act in 2022 and adopted a 10-year policy, becoming the first Kenyan county to give agroecology the force of law. Vihiga and Makueni have since passed county policies, while Nakuru, West Pokot and Kiambu are among counties that have developed frameworks or are working on them. The contrast now presents Kenya with a policy test. It has a national agroecology strategy and increasingly ambitious county laws, but much of its agricultural spending remains tied to ferContinue Reading

Neville Ng'ambwa wrote a new post

Sat, 22 Aug 2026 09:39:23 +0300

Africa Pushes Drought Finance and Pastoralist Protections at COP17 African countries are pressing for stronger international action on drought, accessible restoration finance and greater protection for pastoral communities as governments negotiate new measures to combat land degradation at a United Nations conference in Mongolia. The demands reflect a continent facing the challenge of restoring degraded land quickly enough to protect food supplies, water resources and rural livelihoods as droughts become more frequent and severe due to climate change. Delegates from the 197 parties to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification are meeting in Ulaanbaatar from August 17 to 28 for COP17, held under the theme “Restoring Land. Restoring Hope.” The negotiations cover drought resilience, land restoration, rangeland management, pastoralism, land tenure, migration, science and private-sector participation. At an African regional preparatory meeting in Cairo in June, the African Union warned that desertification, drought and land degradation pose growing threats to the continent’s food security, peace and stability. It urged African negotiators to maintain a common position at COP17 and examine proposals for a new international drought agreement. Countries in Ulaanbaatar are yet to agree on whether future drought action should be governed by a legally binding protocol or a more flexible framework. The outcome could have significant consequences for African countries regularly affected by drought as a binding protocol could create clearer obligations and stronger accountability, while a non-binding framework would give governments more freedom to determine how measures are implemented. Financing is another major point of contention. Developing countries have called for funding that is sufficient, predictable and easier to access, arguing that restoration programmes cannot depend on short-term project cycles. For governments and dryland communities in Africa, the debate reliable funding could help communities restore grazing areas, conserve water, prepare for drought and recover more quickly when rainfall fails. Pastoralism has also taken a prominent place in the talks, which coincide with the United Nations’ International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists. Delegates are considering policies and investments to improve rangeland management while recognizing pastoralists’ contributions to food production, biodiversity and climate resilience. Civil society groups have called for more community-led restoration, better access to finance and stronger safeguards against activities that damage rangelands, including poorly managed mining. Those concerns are particularly relevant in the wider Horn of Africa, where millions of people depend on livestock and access to seasonal grazing. In these areas, the movement of herders and livestock can be an important adaptation strategy, allowing communities to reach pasture and water during dry periods. COP17 discussions have reflected this distinction by highlighting that drought and degraded land can force people from their homes, but planned pastoral mobility can support sustainable use of natural resources when land rights, migration routes and cross-border arrangements are protected. Participants from Africa have also called for stronger scientific capacity and closer links between research and public policy to help support better drought early-warning systems, more accurate land monitoring and restoration programmes designed around local conditions rather than uniform solutions imposed across different landscapes. Delegates are also considering initiatives on sand and dust storms and a proposed rangelands programme focused on knowledge, investment and stronger institutions. Researchers have connected these efforts to satellite monitoring, water and food planning, and the development of restoration projects capable oContinue Reading

Peter Ngare wrote a new post

Fri, 21 Aug 2026 08:36:22 +0300

Carbon Credits Deliver KES655 Million Boost to Northern Kenya Communities Pastoral communities across northern Kenya are set to benefit economically following the allocation of KES655.15 million from the sale of carbon credits. The money, allocated through the Northern Rangelands Trust’s 2026 Carbon Community Fund, is intended to help participating conservancies address locally identified needs while protecting the vast rangelands on which people, livestock and wildlife depend. The money comes from the Northern Kenya Rangelands Carbon Project, which seeks to increase the amount of carbon stored in soil through planned livestock grazing. When independently verified, the additional carbon is converted into credits and sold to companies seeking to compensate for part of their greenhouse-gas emissions. The allocation, disclosed in NRT’s January-June 2026 report, gives the communities a potentially significant source of funding for priorities such as education, healthcare, water infrastructure, livelihoods and conservation. NRT also allocated KES204.4 million for conservancy support and rangeland management during the reporting period. The project covers about two million hectares across 22 community conservancies. These landscapes support pastoral families and their livestock while providing habitat and migration routes for elephants, Grevy’s zebra, reticulated giraffes and other wildlife. Its central idea is that improved grazing can help degraded rangelands recover and store additional carbon underground. Plants absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere as they grow. Some of that carbon enters the soil through roots and decomposing plant material, and healthy grasslands can therefore act as carbon stores. If independent verification shows that a project has stored an additional tonne of carbon dioxide, or avoided an equivalent amount of emissions, it may generate one carbon credit, which a company can purchase to compensate for part of its emissions. Supporters say this can give rangelands a new economic value while financing grazing management, wildlife conservation and essential services. Critics warn that credits have little climate value unless the claimed carbon gains are measurable, additional and likely to last. The project returned to active carbon market status on June 18, 2026 after international carbon standard Verra reinstated it following a quality-control review. Verra began the review after a January 2025 court ruling concerning the legal establishment of Biliqo Bulesa Conservancy, which lies within part of the project area. The ruling raised questions about community processes and project rights on unregistered community land. According to Verra, the Chari Dedha Community subsequently affirmed its participation through a process conducted in accordance with Kenya’s Community Land Act. In the case, Survival International questioned the project’s carbon calculations, grazing arrangements, boundaries, community consent and ability to retain soil carbon during increasingly severe droughts in a critical 2023 report. NRT rejected the findings, describing them as inaccurate and poorly researched. It said communities had been consulted in local languages through a free, prior and informed consent process and maintained that the project had widespread support. NRT’s latest report says more than 300 villages and community zones participated in a consent process connected to proposed governance changes. Consent is especially important in pastoral areas, where communities must move livestock in response to changing rainfall, pasture and water availability, and grazing plans designed to increase soil carbon could affect that mobility if they are not shaped by local knowledge and community decisions. Kenya has also tightened the rules governing the sector. Amendments to the Climate Change Act and the Climate Change (Carbon Markets) Regulations, 2024, introduced requirements on project approval, verification, land rights, consent, environmental integrity and benefit sharing. For land-based projects on public or community land, the regulations require an annual social contribution of at least 40 per cent of the previous year’s aggregate earnings, after the cost of doing business, for community benefit. These rules mean carbon trading is is also about who owns the land, who approved the project, what buyers paid, which costs were deducted and who decides how community revenue is used. Greater transparency will therefore be essential and communities need accessible information showing the project’s gross carbon revenue, the price received for credits, operating costs and how their share was calculated. Northern Kenya is consequently testing whether an international carbon market can accurately value carbon held in African rangelands while strengthening pastoral livelihoods and respectingContinue Reading

Neville Ng'ambwa wrote a new post

Wed, 19 Aug 2026 10:42:34 +0300

East Africa Told to Prepare for Climate Shocks Beyond El Niño East African governments should use the current El Niño threat to build permanent defences against extreme weather rather than rely on short-term emergency measures. According to a conservation organization, VI Agroforestry, greater investment in early-warning systems, resilient infrastructure, sustainable farming, watershed restoration and locally led adaptation are needed as the region prepares for possible floods, landslides, crop losses and displacement. The World Meteorological Organization has forecasted that a strong El Niño its developing and is expected to intensify during the August–October short rain period in East Africa. A possible positive Indian Ocean Dipole could further influence temperatures and rainfall across East Africa. According to IGAD Climate Prediction and Applications Centre (CPAC), Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, Somalia and parts of Ethiopia could receive enhanced rainfall. The rains may improve water supplies, pasture and agricultural production but also increase the risk of flash floods, river flooding and landslides Vi Agroforestry said in a statement that while governments should immediately clear drainage channels, strengthen warnings, support farmers, protect vulnerable communities and prepare emergency services, that seasonal action would not address the underlying conditions that repeatedly turn severe weather into humanitarian emergencies. “The real danger is not El Niño alone,” the organisation said. “It is extreme weather striking degraded landscapes, exhausted soils and communities whose livelihoods have little protection against climate shocks.” East Africa has experienced repeated movement between drought and destructive rainfall. The 2020–2023 drought caused widespread livestock and crop losses in Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia. Heavy rains and flooding then affected communities that had not fully recovered. In 2024, floods damaged homes, roads and farmland and displaced hundreds of thousands of people across Burundi, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Somalia and Tanzania. Vi Agroforestry said the region should stop treating each flood or drought as an isolated event. “Governments should instead invest continuously in the institutions, infrastructure, livelihoods and land-use systems needed to reduce risks before extreme weather occurs,” the statement said. A drought that pushed millions of people into hunger across southern Africa has been driven mostly by the El Nino weather pattern — not climate change, scientists say | Courtesy DW The organisation identified agroforestry and Sustainable Agricultural Land Management (SALM), as important parts of that strategy. “Agroforestry combines trees with crops or livestock, while SALM includes practices such as terracing, mulching, erosion control, water harvesting, controlled grazing and restoration of degraded land,” it said. “Trees, vegetation and healthy soils can slow surface runoff, reduce erosion and help water enter the ground. Better soil structure can retain moisture during dry periods while reducing the speed at which water moves across farmland during heavy rain. “Trees may also provide fruit, animal feed, fuel, timber and income when conventional crops fail, giving farming households additional protection from climate shocks,” said the organization. A 2025 policy brief covering drylands in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania found that agroforestry could improve soil fertility and water retention while supporting land restoration and more diverse livelihoods. The report also identified governance weaknesses, land degradation and inadequate technical support as barriers to wider adoption. Vi Agroforestry called on governments to integrate agroforestry and sustainable land management into national climate commitments, adaptation plans, food-system strategies and disaster-risk-reduction frameworks. It also proposes greater investment in community-led landscape restoration, watershed protection, riverbank rehabilitation, tree nurseries and farmer-managed natural regeneration. The organisation has also called for more financing for locally led adaptation and biodiversity conservation, adding that women, young people, pastoralists and smallholders should participate as decision-makers and leaders in resilience programmes. It said that regional cooperation will be required because climate hazards and major river basins cross national borders, emphasizing that governments, climate centres, researchers, financial institutions and private businesses should coordinate preparedness and share information. It said nature-based measures would not replace drainage systems, flood-control infrastructure, early warnings or emergency response. Instead, restored landscapes and resilient farms should form another layer of protection alongside conventional infrastructure. “El Niño will pass, but climate uncertainty wilContinue Reading

Correspondent wrote a new post

Tue, 18 Aug 2026 09:32:32 +0300

Six People, Seven Elephants Killed as Conflict Worsens Over Resources By Waweru Wairimu Human-wildlife conflict killed six people and seven elephants across community conservancies in northern Kenya during the first half of 2026, highlighting an increasingly complex consequence of conservation gains in a region under growing environmental pressure. The Northern Rangelands Trust (NRT) recorded 26 human-wildlife conflict incidents between January and June 2026, according to its biannual report. Elephants and large carnivores remained among the animals posing the greatest risks to communities. The figures reflect a difficult transition across Kenya’s northern rangelands, where stronger protection has helped wildlife populations recover and allowed elephants to reclaim or expand parts of their former range. On the other hand, communities, however, are now living alongside more wildlife as climate change intensifies pressure on water, pasture and other natural resources. NRT recorded 43 elephant deaths during the six months. Eight were attributed to poaching and seven to human-elephant conflict. Another elephant was illegally killed, one died of natural causes, and the causes of the remaining 26 deaths were unknown. Although poaching remains a serious threat, the figures show that conflict with people has become an increasingly important part of the conservation challenge. NRT wildlife assessments have reported growing populations of elephants, reticulated giraffes, Grevy’s zebras and Beisa oryx across parts of its landscape. They have also documented an expansion of elephant range and greater connectivity between Mount Kenya and Marsabit. Yet those gains have brought new pressures. The same assessments identify rising human-elephant conflict as a major concern. According to NRT, elephants cause more human deaths and injuries in its conservancies than any other wildlife species, while retaliatory and conflict-related killings have become a significant cause of elephant mortality. Kenya Wildlife Service Officers during one of the translocation exercises to help mitigate the human-wildlife conflict. | Courtesy Facebook These encounters are rooted in a wider environmental problem. Northern Kenya consists largely of arid and semi-arid land, where pastoral communities, livestock and wildlife depend on many of the same water sources, grazing areas and migration corridors. During prolonged dry periods, sharing those resources becomes increasingly difficult. While climate change does not explain every case of human-wildlife conflict, rising temperatures and increasingly severe droughts intensify existing competition by reducing available water and forage. Wildlife, livestock and people are consequently pushed towards the same resource-rich areas. As natural water points dry up and vegetation deteriorates, elephants may travel farther in search of food and water. This increases the likelihood that they will enter human settlements, farms and livestock-grazing areas, turning environmental stress into a conservation problem with direct human consequences. NRT’s report suggests that reliable community water supplies could reduce the need for people, livestock and wildlife to converge at the same natural water points. Protecting and restoring rangelands could also increase the availability of forage across the landscape, easing competition and reducing the likelihood of conflict. Such measures are likely to become more important as northern Kenya experiences more frequent and severe climate extremes. The conflict is not new. In 2018, NRT identified the area around the Naibunga and Oldonyiro conservancies as a human-elephant conflict hotspot. The area lies along a critical elephant corridor linking Laikipia, Isiolo and Samburu. At the time, NRT said increasing elephant populations and movements were having a more visible impact as human settlement expanded across the landscape. Eight years later, the challenge of coexistence remains unresolved. The issue also extends beyond northern Kenya. Research published in 2025 estimated that about 70 per cent of Kenya’s wildlife lives outside protected areas. Much of the country’s conservation effort therefore depends on landscapes where people also live and earn their livelihoods. The researchers warned that competition for land and resources, including the conversion of wildlife habitat to agriculture, could intensify conflict. The next phase of conservation, the experts say, will depend not only on keeping elephants safe from poachers, but also on helping communities live safely alongside them as climate change, rangeland degradation and competition for water make coexContinue Reading

Peter Ngare wrote a new post

Tue, 18 Aug 2026 08:53:41 +0300

Africa Must Grow More Food Without Worsening Climate Crisis, Warns FAO Africa needs to produce more food for its growing population, but it must do so without exhausting water supplies, clearing more forests or worsening climate change, a new report warns. The Food Systems Countdown Report 2026 by the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) says Africa is further behind global food and farming goals than any other region, and to catch up by 2030, countries would need to make unusually rapid progress in 23 areas, including access to nutritious food, clean water and more sustainable farming. At the current pace, many of those goals are unlikely to be met, the report says. The findings place African governments in a difficult position as millions of people need more affordable and nutritious food, yet some of the quickest ways to increase production can cause lasting environmental damage. For instance, clearing forests for farmland destroys wildlife habitats and releases gases that contribute to global warming; irrigation can drain already limited water sources, while the poor use of fertiliser and pesticides can damage soil and water. The report says progress should therefore be measured not only by how much food farmers produce, but also by whether farming protects the land, water and natural systems needed for future harvests. In April 2026 during the 34th FAO Regional Conference for Africa (ARC34) in Nouakchott, Mauritania, a continental assessment by FAO, the African Union Commission, the UN Economic Commission for Africa and the World Food Programme showed that Africa remains severely off-track to meet Zero Hunger goals due to conflict, climate shocks, and financing gaps Climate shocks are adding to the pressure. The World Food Programme has warned that a strong El Niño could push another 49 million people worldwide into severe food insecurity, with Southern Africa expected to be among the hardest-hit regions. The report also stresses that growing more food does not automatically end hunger, saying food may be available in markets but still be too expensive for poor families. Transport problems, conflict and extreme weather can also prevent food from reaching the people who need it. Other studies have found the same gap between production and nutrition. The Africa Food Systems Report 2025 said agricultural production on the continent had grown by an average of 4.3 per cent a year since 2000, the fastest rate in the world. Despite that growth, undernutrition continued to rise. The figures show that governments must focus not only on producing more food, but also on making healthy food affordable and accessible. The report says that African countries must increase food production, make nutritious food more affordable, and at the same time protect the natural resources on which farming depends, adding that the choices made now will determine whether future generations inherit a food system that canContinue Reading

Correspondent wrote a new post

Mon, 17 Aug 2026 08:00:41 +0300

Kenyan Teen Leads Charge on Tree Planting and Climate Awareness By Lynet Otieno Baraka Moruri has been passionate about the environment since he was 6. Now 13, the Kenyan climate champion says he has planted more than 7,600 trees with the help of family, friends and private organizations. “My goal is unlimited. I want to plant over 1 million trees before I turn 18,” he says. On March 20 this year, Baraka and his family launched Go Green with Baraka, a book calling for young people in Africa to lead in protecting the environment. Baraka is Little Mister Environment Kenya, and the ambassador of Plant Your Age, an initiative started by the Green Africa Foundation following the death in 2011 of Nobel Peace laureate Wangari Maathai at the age of 71. Her work inspired him to become involved in climate action. “Once, as I was doing my agriculture class assignment that involved researching about Prof Wangari Maathai, I watched a video in which she was being denied her rights. She later won a global award because of her love for the environment,” Baraka says. The impacts of climate change fall especially hard on children in countries like Kenya. The newly released “Children’s Climate Risk Report” by UNICEF describes how children in East and Southern Africa are exposed to overlapping climate shocks. “Over 65 million children, close to one in four, are already exposed to three or more overlapping climate hazards, from droughts and fires to floods and tropical storms,” it says. These climate shocks, the report says, are increasingly affecting the essential services that children rely on for survival, health and learning, including critical water and sanitation systems. “During floods or heat waves we cannot concentrate in school or get involved in extracurricular activities,” Baraka says. Events like the March 2026 floods that killed 110 people and displaced 34,700 in Kenya spurred Baraka’s concern for the impact of climate change on his country. “We could not see our friends. It killed many people. It basically made me to realize that Kenya needs to take climate change more seriously because floods are caused by something that can be mitigated,” he says. Baraka started planting trees four years ago, at the age of 9. He involves friends, family and fellow students in tree-planting activities. They’ve planted fruit and other trees in schools, wellness sanctuaries, and a national forest in Nairobi, as well in rural areas around the city. Baraka Moruri during the interview with Mongabay at their home in Nairobi. | Courtesy Lynet Otieno, Mongabay. Baraka has also influenced his grandmother, who has set land aside for planting trees. “She is basically fighting climate change because I took my time to tell her about the science behind it. Basically, everyone in my family, and friends who have been coming to my events knows about climate change,” he says. In November 2023, Baraka was joined by at least 700 of these fellow enthusiasts for a climate change walk, after which they planted more than 2,000 trees. Baraka has been told he’s too young to understand climate change. But Baraka, whose name means “blessing” in Swahili, says he can see the impacts with his own eyes. “In the dry season it rains, and what used to be wet seasons now are prolonged dry weather. Farmers don’t know when to plant. This is detrimental to food security,” he tells Mongabay. According to the “Africa Climate Awareness Report 2023,” people in African countries are largely aware of climate change. But there’s a gap for younger generations. “Older respondents were generally more aware of the impact of climate change than young people,” the report authors wrote. Baraka says he wants more children to be actively involved in climate action. “Leaders should not leave us behind. We also have ideas and energy on how to combat climate change,” he said. He says he wants to attend the COP31 U.N. climate summit, taking place this November in Türkiye, to deliver the same message to world leaders at the annual talks. “I am not the only child championing climate action. If we work consistently, more children will have hope,” he adds. A 2025 study by Douglas Nyathi, Joram Ndlovu and Thembelihle Nyathi, titled “Youth participation in climate action in sub-Saharan Africa: Challenges, gaps and prospects,” finds that youths have a hard time obtaining the kind of political and financial support they need to engage in climate action. “I fund almost everything Baraka does,” says Lawrine Moruri, Baraka’s mother. “Initially I lacked climate change awareness and only supported him to enjoy his passion. But now I am beginning to see where this is going, and the costs it comes with. I am grateful for the few friends and institutions that donate trees, and help in several other ways sometimes. But we need more support.” The institutions she refers to are Plant Your Age, Green Africa Movement, Safaricom, Equity Bank, Safaricom Subcontractors, Lolo Cleaning Services, Fastlink Movers, and the White Star school. According to Collins Otieno, director of the Africa Youth Climate Fund, less than 1% of international climate funding goes to youth- and children-led projects. “We have a system that is designed to ignore youth and children, right from the household to the larger society,” he says. Otieno says he believes children and youth have the right to shape the conversation about climate finance, given that the burdens will fall on them. “Now Africa is negotiating different instruments for climate finance” — at the SB64 U.N. climate meeting in Germany — “but who will pay these debts? Children will pay in the form of taxation,” he says. When Baraka visits schools in Nairobi, he simplifies climate change by talking about it in a fun way. Planting trees isn’t the only way to help; he tells his peers. “I talk to them about other options of addressing climate change, including switching to electric cars, switching off lights and taps when they are not in use. There are also house plants that can help combat climate change,” he says. Juma Ignatius, senior policy adviser (global) at the Christian charity World Vision International, says children’s participation in climate action should include the ability to influence policy. “Children will live longer than the older generation. We cannot do anything without them. This problem is not unique to Kenya,” he tells Mongabay. Internationally, he says, some platforms, like mini-COPs, and linking children to policymaker’s work. “I met a child in Brazil from Solomon Islands, who was articulate at one of the mini-COPs. There was another one from Tanzania. But such initiatives are led by CSOs, rather than governments,” Ignatius says. He recommends a standing policy that when coming up with positions for COPs or the Africa Ministerial Conference on Environment, children’s perspectives must be included. Baraka’s work is a drop in the ocean in Kenya’s efforts to plant 15 billion trees by 2030. Before he disappears to play, he tells Mongabay that he doesn’t want children to be seen merely as vulnerable to climate change effects, but rather as great stakeholders in effective climate action locally and abroad. Republished from Mongabay: https://news.mongabay.com/2026/07/kenyan-teen-leads-charge-on-tree-planting-and-Continue Reading

Dan Kaburu wrote a new post

Fri, 14 Aug 2026 15:12:48 +0300

KDC Plans Kenya’s First Green Fund as Climate Financing Gap Widens By Daniel Kaburu Kenya Development Corporation (KDC) plans to establish what it describes as the country’s first green fund, marking a significant shift in Kenya’s efforts to finance renewable energy, climate-resilient enterprises and environmentally sustainable development. The fund, expected to be established in the coming months, will target businesses whose projects can reduce emissions, improve resource efficiency or strengthen resilience to climate change but which have historically struggled to secure affordable, long-term financing. KDC Director-General Norah Ratemo said financing remains the missing link between Kenya’s growing pool of green ideas and their implementation. The urgency is being driven by the growing economic cost of climate change, with Kenya’s latest climate plan estimating that extreme weather events erode between 3% and 5% of the country’s gross domestic product annually. Recurring droughts have disrupted agriculture, livestock production and hydropower generation, while severe flooding has damaged homes, roads, schools, businesses and other infrastructure. Kenya’s second Nationally Determined Contribution estimates that the 2024 floods alone caused about $783 million in damage and more than $672 million in associated economic losses. The World Bank has warned that, without sufficient adaptation measures, climate change could reduce Kenya’s real GDP by as much as 7% against the baseline by 2050. It could also push up to 1.1 million additional people into poverty under a dry and hot climate scenario. These risks are particularly serious because agriculture, water, tourism and energy sectors are highly exposed to changes in rainfall and temperature. Environment Principal Secretary Eng. Festus Ng’eno says governments can no longer treat climate change as a peripheral environmental concern because its effects are increasingly shaping economic planning and public policy. Kenya’s climate ambitions require investment on a scale that public finances cannot meet alone. Under its latest climate commitment, the country estimates that it will need about $56 billion to implement mitigation and adaptation programmes between 2031 and 2035. The country intends to mobilise approximately $10.5 billion, or 19%, from domestic resources, leaving about $45.36 billion dependent on international finance, investment and other forms of support. The plan seeks to reduce Kenya’s projected greenhouse-gas emissions by 35% by 2035, while financing adaptation in agriculture, water, health, infrastructure and other climate-sensitive sectors. Kenya’s Second Nationally Determined ContributionThe scale of the shortfall has increased pressure on development finance institutions, commercial lenders, cooperative societies, pension funds and private investors to mobilise additional capital. Development finance institutions are particularly important because they can provide longer repayment periods, patient capital, guarantees and blended-finance arrangements for projects that commercial lenders may consider too new, risky or slow to generate returns. Although entrepreneurs and established businesses have developed solutions capable of reducing carbon emissions and improving environmental performance, many cannot meet the collateral, repayment and risk requirements imposed by conventional lenders. The green fund is expected to help close that gap by directing capital towards commercially viable projects that also deliver measurable environmental and social benefits. KDC entry into green financing could also help draw private capital into projects by absorbing part of the early-stage risk. This would allow commercial banks and institutional investors to participate in investments they might otherwise avoid. KDC has already begun integrating environmental, social and governance considerations into its investment processes. Its green-financing strategy is also being aligned with the Kenya Green Finance Taxonomy, which provides a common framework for identifying economic activities that qualify as environmentally sustainable. Government officials say cooperative societies could complement the work of development finance institutions by extending green credit to households, farmers and small businesses that may not be served directly by laContinue Reading

Correspondent wrote a new post

Fri, 14 Aug 2026 14:57:30 +0300

Africa’s Bakers Turn to Climate-Resilient Crops as Wheat-Free Market Grows Bonface Orucho African bakers and food manufacturers are turning indigenous crops into breads, cakes, pasta and snacks, linking the growing market for gluten-free food to a wider effort to build food systems that can withstand climate change. At Kirsten Bakery in Nairobi, cassava, millet, sorghum and other naturally gluten-free ingredients are increasingly being used to make bread, cakes and pastries. The bakery is part of an emerging shift in which crops traditionally grown for household consumption or sold in local markets are being developed into higher-value food products, giving farmers and processors new commercial reasons to invest in varieties suited to Africa’s changing climate. The climate case is becoming more urgent because most African farming depends on rainfall, leaving food production highly exposed when rains arrive late, end early or fail altogether. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change estimates that between 90% and 95% of Africa’s food production is rain-fed, while climate change has reduced growth in the continent’s agricultural productivity by 34% since 1961. The panel also found that climate change lowered wheat yields in sub-Saharan Africa by an average of 2.3% between 1974 and 2008, with drought, extreme heat and changing rainfall expected to place further pressure on the crop production.Cassava, millet and sorghum are not immune to severe weather, but many varieties can produce food under hotter and drier conditions in which more water-demanding crops struggle. The Food and Agriculture Organization describes cassava as tolerant of drought and capable of producing acceptable harvests on marginal land, while millet and sorghum have long supported communities farming in dry parts of Africa. Expanding the use of those crops in processed foods could therefore help countries diversify their food supplies, create markets for farmers in drought-prone areas and reduce their exposure to disruptions in imported wheat. The opportunity is being strengthened by growing consumer demand for gluten-free food, as consumers become more concerned about gluten sensitivity, digestion and diet. The global market for gluten-free bakery products was valued at US$2.6 billion in 2025 and is projected to reach US$7.38 billion by 2034, according to Fortune Business Insights.Judith Moraa, a Nairobi-based nutritionist, says growing awareness of gluten-related health problems ss changing what consumers looks for when buying bread and other baked foods. “Nowadays, people are choosing gluten-free foods not only because they have coeliac disease but also because they are sensitive to gluten and experience allergic reactions after consuming products that contain it,” Moraa says.According to Moraa, naturally gluten-free crops such as cassava, millet and sorghum can provide useful dietary fibre and allow consumers to eat a wider variety of locally grown foods. For African food companies, the crops offer an opportunity to respond to changing diets while building supply chains around ingredients that are already familiar to local farmers. At the University of Pretoria, food science researcher Daddy Kgonothi has developed a patent-pending protein concentrate from the marama bean, a drought-resistant and nutrient-rich legume native to Southern Africa. The concentrate is designed to help gluten-free dough behave more like wheat dough, potentially reducing the number of ingredients manufacturers need to produce bread with an acceptable texture. “A growing number of consumers with coeliac disease are unable to consume gluten-containing foods such as bread and therefore rely on alternative gluten-free products,” Kgonothi said.“ However, many commercially available gluten-free products are expensive due to the large number of ingredients required to achieve desirable product quality. ”Kgonothi’s invention, which emerged from his doctoral research and remains at the prototype stage, combines marama bean protein with starch to improve the strength and texture of gluten-free dough. The University of Pretoria said the technology could help manufacturers produce more affordable gluten-free foods while creating commercial demand for a crop adapted to dry environments. Climate-focused food innovation is also extending beyond drought-resistant crops to the problem of food waste, with researchers exploring how rejected produce can be converted into ingredients instead of being discarded. In South Africa, approximately 140,000 tonnes of potatoes valued at R759 million were lost or wasted across the value chain in 2023, according to Potatoes South Africa. Many potatoes are rejected because they fail to meet retailers’ expectations for size, shape or appearance, despite remaining suitable for consumption.At Stellenbosch University, food science researcher Tanja du Toit has developed gluten-free breads, muffins and pancakes using flour made from lower-grade potatoes, showing how processing can create value from produce that might otherwise be discarded. “Potato flour is naturally gluten-free, which presents an enormous opportunity for product development, especially using lower-grade potatoes, since the defects in potatoes are masked when they’re made into flour,” she said.University of Pretoria researchers have also developed gluten-free ready meals, including beef and potato lasagne, using lower-grade potatoes. Consumer trials found that willingness to buy the products increased after shoppers learned that they could help reduce food waste, suggesting that environmental concerns are beginning to influence purchasing decisions alongside price, convenience and health. Governments are also beginning to develop rules that could support wider trade in alternative flours. In July 2026, the Codex Alimentarius Commission approved a Nigerian proposal to begin developing an international group standard for flours made from roots and tubers, initially focusing on yam and sweet potato. The Codex proposal argues that internationally agreed standards could improve food safety and make it easier for producers to sell climate-resilient staples to commercial bakeries and export markets. Cassava flour is already covered by an international Codex standard, while the proposed work would establish common requirements for yam, sweet potato and potentially other tuber flours. In northern Kenya, the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization (KALRO) has tested teff in drought-prone Marsabit, where research found that the crop can tolerate considerable soil-moisture stress and has become an alternative to maize in some areas. A KALRO-linked study found that teff’s ability to grow in dry conditions made it suitable for Marsabit, although low soil fertility and limited access to improved seed continued to restrict yields. Other crops are attracting similar interest, including fonio in West Africa and sorghum, millet and amaranth in Eastern and Southern Africa, as manufacturers develop snack bars, flour blends and other foods aimed at consumers seeking simple, locally sourced ingredients. The transition will still require investment in reliable crop supplies, food-safety systems, processing equipment and product development, because climate resilience on the farm will not create a profitable industry unless processors can produce affordable foods that consumers enjoy. Farmers will also need access to improved seed, extension services, storage and stable markets, while manufacturers must ensure that demand for premium products translates into better and more reliable earnings for growers. Republished from bird story agency: https://agency.birdstoryagenc Continue Reading

Correspondent wrote a new post

Wed, 12 Aug 2026 05:36:08 +0300

The Farmer’s Daughter Using Solar and AI to Keep Harvests Alive By Lerato Pooe Every morning, before the day’s fresh tomatoes could be prepared for sale, Shifra Ainomugisha had another job: removing the rotten ones from her family’s store. She was the only girl in a tomato-growing family in Ibanda District, western Uganda, and the routine was so familiar that, at first, the waste appeared normal. Her family worked hard, yet a large part of each harvest spoiled before it could be sold. “I used to wake up every single morning to collect rotten tomatoes from our store and leave the fresh ones for sale,” Ainomugisha recalls. “But it was so heartbreaking that the biggest percentage of the tomatoes were going to waste.” As she grew older, the connection between those losses and her family’s circumstances became harder to ignore. At school, differences between what children could afford made visible what spoiled produce meant at home. “We were kept in poverty, yet we were labouring a lot,” she says. “Maybe I needed a certain kind of school shoes, but I couldn’t get the shoes. It kept sinking in that something was not right.” That recognition, which began when she was about 15, eventually became the foundation for Solafam Uganda Limited, the climate-technology company she founded with university colleagues. In June, Ainomugisha was named the 2026 Commonwealth Young Person of the Year, as well as the regional winner for Africa, for work that combines solar-powered cold storage, shared solar irrigation and an artificial-intelligence advisory service for farmers. For International Youth Day, her story celebrates young Africans building solutions from problems they know intimately. Ainomugisha studied renewable-energy engineering at Makerere University in Kampala. There she met other sons and daughters of farmers, including Solafam’s chief operating officer, Moreen Nabahiirwa, a mechanical-engineering student, and now a colleague with business expertise. They had knowledge and an idea, but no capital. A lecturer who had watched them work on a related university project became the first person outside their families to take the idea seriously. “After school, you don’t have anything to start a business if you have not worked for an organisation and earned a salary,” Ainomugisha says. “We only had knowledge. We needed that one person to believe in us.” Shifra Ainomugisha handing over a solar-powered pump to Scovia, a farmer in Ibanda. | Courtesy: Commonwealth Secretariat | Birds Story Agency That one person was their lecturer who connected them to the Sahara Impact Fund. Its support helped them build a solar-powered cold room from a repurposed shipping container, locally sourced batteries and solar panels. With nowhere else to install it, Ainomugisha placed it at her father’s home. Her parents became the first people to test her prototype. Soon, other farmers in her village would come to look at the solution they had built in their home. Other farmers watched, but winning their confidence proved difficult. “They saw a very young girl, 23 or 24 years old,” she says. “They would ask, ‘what do you mean you’re doing this? You’re a woman entrepreneur, an engineer, and you’re solving this?’ It was hard for people to take us in and believe in our solution.” Without proper storage, Ainomugisha says freshly harvested tomatoes might last only a few days, perhaps a week or up to 10 days, whereas with the cold room, the tomatoes can remain fresh for up to 21 days. Her father could now wait for peak-season pressure to ease. Trust grew gradually through her father’s experience. Solafam also grew beyond cold storage as farmers revealed that spoilage was only one part of a larger system of risk. Reliance on rain could leave a farmer with a single productive season. Even a successfully preserved harvest still needed a buyer. Farmers also needed timely advice about irrigation, pests, crop management and harvesting. Solafam responded by offering shared solar-irrigation systems and LYN, an AI-supported service accessed via WhatsApp. Ainomugisha’s days are busy and even then she takes time to go to the field: “I’m always in the field to check on how the farmers are doing, if there is any maintenance needed for the irrigation systems.” Solafam says LYN has reached nearly 2,000 farmers, and this is an ongoing process. Ainomugisha says the company is always looking for more clients and communities where it can provide its solutions to farmers. Reaching a thousand clients, she says, would not mean that the work was done. The company’s ambitions stretch beyond Uganda, with the team looking to expand to Tanzania, Kenya and other countries. The impact of Solafam’s work enables farmers to grow across more seasons. This innovation means that more food is available within the communities where the food is produced. Shifra Ainomugisha with a farmer outside a Solafam cold room in Ibanda. | Courtesy: Commonwealth Secretariat | Birds Story Agency She describes receiving the award as “life-changing” and the biggest win yet since Solafam began. Even though Solafam had partners back in 2023, the award recognition has brought a high level of attention to the company and opened doors that were difficult for the company to access. In particular, Ainomugisha says the award has allowed them to engage with the Ugandan government, an opportunity they have always wanted but struggled to secure. “From the time we got that award, we are now in talking stage with the government,” she says. Beyond acknowledging the work Solafam has done, the award has opened opportunities for partnerships that could help the company expand its work. The attention also gives Ainomugisha a platform ahead of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, which will take place in St John’s, Antigua and Barbuda, from 1–4 November 2026. She wants CHOGM to move beyond celebrating young people towards removing the barriers that constrain their ideas. “I want to see the youth being supported, and a system created whereby it will be easy for someone like me, staying in Uganda, to access education in Antigua,” she said. “I shouldn’t get issues with visa access. I want the system to be easy for us.” “We have a lot of network-connectivity issues,” she said. “I want someone to address that.” Her message to funders is direct: young Africans understand many challenges requiring solutions, but ideas stall when nobody back an unproven team. “Young people are the ones making a big change in our communities,” she says. “They have solutions, but they are lacking people to believe and support them to reach their dreams.” She rejects the idea that agriculture is confined to digging in a field, saying that renewable energy, engineering, logistics, AI, market information, and finance create openings for a new generation. “The youth should know that farming is beyond going to the farm and digging,” she says. “There are many opportunities to solve the problems related to farming using AI technology.” Throughout her journey, Ainomugisha has recognised that her success comes from the people who supported and believed in her, and, most of all, from the clients who turned her idea into a business. “I want to change the narrative that farming is for the poor,” she says. “I want people to make money out of agriculture, adopt technology and change their livelihoods.” The article has been republished from bird story agency: https://agency.birdstoryagency.com/stories/the-farmer-s-daughter-using-solar-and-ai-to-keep-harve Continue Reading