Research and Other Publications
Building African Capacity to Develop and Implement Environmental Law
Strengthening the Capacity of Pastoral Communities in Kenya to Protect and Conserve their Natural Resources and the Environment
Pastoral communities in Kenya face severe challenges in ensuring access to and security over their natural resources. In partnership with the Resources Conflict Institute (RECONCILE), ELI developed and convened two workshops to build the capacity of pastoral communities in Kenya to protect, conserve, and sustainably manage their land and natural resources. The pair of workshops brought together over 30 participants drawn from community-based organizations, NGOs, relevant local government departments, and pastoral communities around Kenya. These two-day workshops were held in Kabarnet, for Rift Valley pastoralists (November 1-2, 2001), and in Nanyuki, for pastoralists from Eastern Kenya (November 5-6, 2001).
The workshops provided participants with substantive knowledge of environmental law as well as advocacy tools and institutional mechanisms for protecting their interests. Participants were introduced to the constitutional rights to life and to a healthy environment, with an emphasis on highlighting experiences that illustrate how communities in East Africa and around the world have invoked these rights to protect their health and natural resources. The workshops also included training on Kenya’s new Environmental Management and Coordination Act (EMCA), with particular attention paid to the enforcement provisions and the role to be played by communities and individuals. Finally, the workshops highlighted a variety of legal and non-legal advocacy tools that pastoralists may use to protect their natural resources and the environment, in the legal and institutional context of Kenya.