Advocacy Campaigns

EAWLS initiated advocacy efforts against encroachment of Satima escarpment in Nyandarua County in which up to 3125 acres of the Muruai- Kirima Forest, a water catchment area for several wetlands in the area including Lake Ol Bolossat had been encroached. 

We created a public petition through a generated email letter directed to the relevant authorities (Ministry of Environment and Forestry, Kenya Forest Service, National Environment Management Authority and Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions) that were sent out to members to put pressure on the government to take legal action against perpetrators and stop further encroachment. 

We also wrote articles in the Star Newspaper and used Social Media platforms to highlight the issues and mount pressure from the public. As a result, Kenya Forest Service (KFS) demolished palings of private developers on a 100 acre site inside the protected area and issued a two-week notice to all those who have intruded the forest to vacate.

In relation to the above, Nyandarua County renewed its bid to hive off 163 acres of land from Aberdare Forest to expand Ndaragwa Township, its dairy market and animal feed manufacturing. They called for public participation in reviewing the ESIA report in which EAWLS gave its comments and published statements against this move which comes at a time when the country is struggling to achieve 10 percent forest cover and is reclaiming lost forest land for rehabilitation.

EAWLS drafted the Bomet County Forest Conservation & Management Bill, the Bill has now been presented to the public and is now being debated by the Bomet County assembly. This is a milestone that will streamline the forest product value chain, provide a platform for communities to get involved in natural resource management and pave the way for more counties to adopt laws necessary for the execution of their forest management mandate. 

In 2020, we sent out a petition on Change.org asking the public to pledge to build a world that can truly sustain all life on earth in commemoration of World Wildlife Day.

Following the draft management plan for Nairobi National Park that was published and called for submissions of input from the public, EAWLS engaged with its members and partners to gather views on the proposed Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) plans. This was done through our official website and social media platforms in which we reached out to about 1300 people from all over the world, the USA having the highest percentage of outreach at 45% while Kenya 25% out of which we received feedback from about 50 respondents. 

We further posted an Op-Ed in the Star Newspapers as a call for public participation in which we encouraged the pubic to submit their opinions through our website. A detailed report was submitted to KWS as a result.

EAWLS joined FFI by signing a petition addressed to the UN Secretary General calling for an initial $500 billion yearly funding commitment, scaling up year-on-year, to reverse ecosystem degradation and protect the natural world. The petition further called for penalty introduction and reduction of finances for activities that harm nature.  

EAWLS through the DeCoalonize campaign seems to win the battle against plans to build a coal-fired power plant in Lamu. This is because the plans hit another setback in which General Electric (GE) announced their intention to exit an agreement to design, construct and maintain the plant because the American multinational is ending its involvement in the coal power market as it shifts to renewable energy.

EAWLS is working in conjunction with other stakeholders including FFI reviewed and present comments on an EIA report for the proposed construction of Shimoni Port at the Coast. EAWLS and FFI ran a marine program at Shimoni-Vanga a few years ago, including the establishment of Community Conserved Areas and supporting Beach Management Units among other initiatives. The report was submitted in December 2020. We are following up on the developments of this.

EAWLS joined Uganda conservation activists to campaign against the plan to construct a hydropower dam at Murchinson Falls by writing an Op-Ed on the subject and articles in the SWARA Magazine urging the government to stop the proposed project.

In a move hailed by conservationists in Uganda, the country’s lawmakers unanimously rejected these plans and adopted a report by the parliamentary committee on environment, rejecting the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development’s proposal to build a 360MW at Uhuru Falls on Murchison Falls national park.