Resistance to carbon credits in Southern Kenya

Supporting Pastoralists Community’s Agency: Crowdfunding Initiative to Foster Transparency in Carbon Credit Schemes, organised by Moses Mepukori

Kenyan President William Ruto recently boasted that vast tracts of land of his country are open to investors as he plans to make Kenya a carbon credits leader to overhaul the international financial system.

In the context of these plans, we are launching a crowdfunding initiative aimed at challenging and addressing the limitations of carbon credit schemes within the Tsavo-Amboseli ecosystem in Kenya where, historically to the present day, wildlife in militarised Protected Areas has been favoured over pastoralism, even in times of drought (see photo) and despite the fact that the two can largely co-exist.

The Tsavo-Amboseli ecosystem is already served by numerous environment-related organisations and carbon credit/trading programmes. However, benefits rarely trickle down to community members. Our primary concern is the lack of community involvement and equitable resource distribution associated with these programmes.

The funds raised will be used to raise greater awareness about carbon credits and their role in financing exclusionary wildlife conservation at the expense of pastoralist ways of life, enabling community members to gain a comprehensive understanding and ask relevant questions.

The funds will also support documentation efforts to identify existing carbon credit projects within our community. We need to know the firms operating in the community, assess their investments, and evaluate the types of projects involved for better decision-making.

Objectives:

1. Promote community awareness: Allocate funds to organise workshops, training sessions, and community events to enhance community members' understanding of carbon credit projects, allowing them to ask informed questions.

2. Support the community’s agency: Provide resources that enable community members to exercise their agency. These include dialogue sessions, open forums, meetings and discussions with project developers, policymakers, and experts. This will empower members to voice concerns, ask questions, and advocate for equitable resource distribution.

3. Foster transparency and accountability: Utilise funds to conduct comprehensive documentation of existing carbon credit projects within our community. This includes identifying the firms involved, evaluating their investments in the community, and analysing the nature and impacts of the projects.

Budget: We aim to raise €5000 to support this initiative. The funds will be allocated as follows:

Community awareness programmes: 60%

Documentation and research: 30%

Administrative and logistical expenses: 10%

Impact: By supporting the agency of our pastoral community and fostering transparency, this crowdfunding initiative seeks to achieve the following outcomes:

1. Informed community: Community members will acquire a comprehensive understanding of carbon credit projects, enabling them to actively participate in decision-making processes.

2. Enhanced accountability: Through the documentation of existing projects, we can identify gaps and ensure that firms investing in the community fulfil their obligations and contribute positively to local development.

3. Promote equitable resource sharing: Advocate for mechanisms that ensure fair distribution of benefits derived from any existing carbon credit projects, emphasising sustainable socio-economic opportunities for the community.

Pledge: Your support will help us to create awareness, document projects, and advocate for change and foster transparency, accountability, and sustainable development for the benefit of all community members. With your support, we can create an informed community that actively shapes its own future.