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Kenya faces a significant economic burden from fossil fuel imports and subsidies despite having a nearly 90 percent renewable electricity grid. The report argues that transitioning away from fossil fuels is an economic imperative, as revenues from potential oil and coal projects are insufficient to address the national debt. It proposes a three-step pathway: immediate integration of phase-out plans, short-to-medium term divestment and investment in high-growth sectors (renewable energy, e-mobility, climate-smart agriculture, green manufacturing, and the digital economy), and long-term decarbonisation of hard-to-abate sectors. The document also highlights the risks of stranded assets and 'debt trap diplomacy' and recommends joining a Fossil Fuel Treaty to unlock international finance and technical support.

The report finds that while Kenya has successfully increased its renewable electricity generation to 87% by 2022, the transition lacks policy coherence regarding affordability and equity. High electricity tariffs, driven by infrastructure investments and a distribution monopoly, hinder industrial competitiveness and limit energy access for vulnerable groups. The analysis identifies a significant trade-off between coal-based industrialization goals and climate mitigation targets, though the latter has gained dominance due to international financial pressure. Institutional barriers, including corruption and limited resources for social equity, further impede a just transition.

The document details how residents of Ras-Kitau, supported by Natural Justice, successfully halted a sand mining operation that caused beach erosion and mangrove degradation by proving the project lacked the legally required Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and license.

The policy brief highlights the increasing violence and criminalization of Environmental Human Rights Defenders (EHRDs) globally and specifically in Kenya. It identifies a lack of specific national legislation for EHRD protection, corruption, and restrictive laws as key enablers of these threats. The document recommends the enactment of a dedicated national protection law, the domestication of international human rights obligations, and the repeal of laws that limit civic space to ensure the safety of activists and the rule of law in environmental governance.

The 'Klimaatsaksie Handboek' is a practical guide designed to empower South African communities to combat climate change using legal tools. It explains the science of climate change, identifies specific vulnerabilities and potential impacts—such as water scarcity and food insecurity—and outlines a framework for 'climate action.' The document details South Africa's constitutional rights, relevant environmental legislation, and international commitments. It provides a step-by-step toolkit for community organizing, including methods for gathering evidence, accessing government information via PAIA, participating in Environmental Impact Assessments, lobbying, and taking legal action as a last resort.

The Climate Action Handbook is a guide designed to empower South African communities to respond to climate change by combining scientific understanding with legal action. It defines climate vulnerability and resilience, outlines South Africa's specific climate risks and legal framework—including constitutional rights and environmental legislation—and provides a ten-step practical framework for community-led climate action, ranging from advocacy and information gathering to formal legal proceedings.

The National Environment Tribunal (NET) in Kenya cancelled the license for a 1050MW coal power plant in Lamu County due to inadequate public participation and the omission of a climate change assessment in the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA).

The document details how the Lamu Port Three Berth Project and a proposed 1050Mw coal plant in Kwasasi threaten the livelihoods of thousands of fishers in Lamu, Kenya. It highlights the environmental impacts of these projects, including water turbidity from dredging and thermal pollution from cooling systems, and describes the legal actions taken by Natural Justice, Save Lamu, and the Katiba Institute to secure compensation and challenge project approvals.

The report finds that while Kenyan women are rarely direct perpetrators of violent acts, they provide critical 'invisible infrastructure' for al-Shabaab through recruiting, intelligence gathering, and logistics. Involvement is driven by a complex interplay of poverty, socio-political marginalisation, and personal relationships. The study highlights severe impacts on women, including sexual violence in camps and psychological trauma from terror attacks and heavy-handed counter-terrorism (CT) operations. Current P/CVE responses are criticised for being gender-neutral and overly securitised, leading to mistrust between the state and affected communities.

The document examines how climate science, specifically attribution science, can be used to link extreme weather events to climate change and inform disaster risk management. It highlights a case study of the 2016/2017 drought in Kenya, noting that while human-induced climate change signals were not strong for rainfall, hotter temperatures influenced by climate change and La Nina patterns contributed to the event. The brief recommends increased investment in national and subnational capacities for climate services, better inter-agency coordination, and the alignment of early warning systems with forecast-based early action.

The 2016–2017 drought in Kenya, declared a national emergency in February 2017, was primarily driven by sea surface temperature patterns, specifically La Niña. While attribution analysis found no strong climate change signal in rainfall trends, it concluded that temperatures during the drought were hotter than they would have been without human-induced climate change. The drought severely impacted 23 counties, leaving up to 4 million people in need of food aid by April 2017, though it was less extreme than the 2010–2011 event.

The report examines the use of community protocols in four countries to address the impacts of extractive industries. It finds that while the processes are time-consuming and context-dependent, they can empower communities through legal training, the formation of advocacy groups, and the creation of frameworks for free, prior and informed consent (FPIC). The report highlights that early engagement is generally more effective, though protocols can still yield results during active mining operations, as seen in Zimbabwe. Key challenges include internal community conflicts, power imbalances with corporations, and the need for strong local partnerships to ensure community ownership.

The document examines the systemic marginalisation of African communities affected by mining, highlighting the gap between official policy and the reality of environmental degradation, forced relocation, and health hazards. It details specific tools for empowerment, such as community protocols in Kenya and Zimbabwe, paralegal interventions in Sierra Leone, and strategic litigation regarding silicosis in South Africa. The text emphasizes the disproportionate burden on women and the necessity of moving beyond narrow legal definitions of 'indigenous peoples' to protect all customary landholders through the principle of Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC).

The document outlines a pilot project by Natural Justice and partners to implement biocultural community protocols (BCPs) in four countries to safeguard community rights against extractive industries. It details specific regional efforts—addressing infrastructure and oil/gas/coal in Kenya, diamond mining in Zimbabwe, lithium mining in Argentina, and various mining forms in India—while identifying BCPs as tools for internal consensus and external rights assertion. The report highlights successes in community mobilization and challenges such as political will, safety threats, and the difficulty of defining 'community' in non-homogenous groups.

The document argues that the LAPSSET project violates Kenyan constitutional and international legal obligations. It highlights failures in meaningful participation and access to information, which infringe upon the right to development. The amici assert that the project risks causing environmental degradation that would violate rights to adequate housing, water, food, and health. Furthermore, it claims the project would lead to unlawful forced evictions and harm the rights of the Lamu people as indigenous/tribal peoples. Finally, it argues that the project threatens the cultural and natural heritage of Lamu Old Town, a UNESCO World Heritage site.

The project targets Kwale, Kilifi, Tana River, and Lamu counties to combat impacts from drought, storms, and coastal erosion. It proposes a 'Source-to-Sea' framework that links upstream agricultural management with downstream coastal ecosystem restoration. Key interventions include restoring mangroves, coral reefs, and seagrasses, implementing climate-resilient farming to reduce riverbank erosion and sedimentation, and establishing sustainable finance mechanisms like Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES) and blue carbon markets. The project aims to benefit approximately 323,100 direct beneficiaries, focusing on vulnerable fisherfolk and small-scale farmers, while addressing social issues such as gender-based violence and sex trafficking linked to economic desperation.

This document is a Terms of Reference (ToR) prepared by Kurrent Technologies Ltd. for the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) to guide an Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) for a proposed 1,050MW coal-fired power plant in Lamu County, Kenya. The project, proposed by Amu Power Company Limited, aims to increase Kenya's generation capacity to meet growing electricity demand using super-critical technology.

The National Environment Tribunal (NET) revoked the EIA licence for Amu Power Company Limited's proposed 1050MW coal plant in Kwasasi, Lamu County. The tribunal found that public participation was "non-existent" during the ESIA study phase and that the process was "procedurally unfair." Key failures included the lack of a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) for the LAPSSET corridor, the omission of critical infrastructure designs (such as a 2,000-acre limestone quarry and conveyor belt), and a failure to account for Kenya's Climate Change Act, 2016. While some air quality and ecological mitigation measures were deemed adequate, the tribunal found the ash-handling plans risky due to tidal flooding and climate change. Consequently, the licence was revoked, requiring the proponent to either restart the ESIA process in accordance with the law or appeal the decision.

The document serves as a legal empowerment guide for environmental and land rights defenders (ELRDs) in Kenya, detailing the constitutional and statutory protections available to them. It identifies key threats faced by defenders—such as harassment, illegal arrests, and forced evictions—and attributes these to drivers like competition over scarce natural resources and power inequality. The guide outlines how to lodge complaints with national bodies including the Commission on Administrative Justice (CAJ), the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA), and the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR). It also lists various international and regional civil society organisations that provide emergency funding and legal support to defenders.

The Lamu County Bio-Cultural Community Protocol (BCP) is a communal document created by the Bajun, Swahili, Sanye, Aweer, and Orma communities to protect their ancestral lands and nature-based livelihoods. It details the diverse economic niches of these groups—including fishing, pastoralism, and hunting-gathering—and the traditional conservation methods they employ. The document strongly opposes the LAPSSET project and the Amu Power coal plant, citing a lack of free, prior, and informed consent, threats to biodiversity, and the risk of cultural erasure. It concludes by demanding legal recognition of community land rights and the adoption of renewable energy alternatives.