A youth group will walk 4,868 kilometres from Nairobi to Sharm El-Sheikh in Egypt, to raise awareness of threats posed by climate change.
The youth will journey through Uganda, South Sudan, Sudan to Egypt ahead of the 2022 United Nations Climate Change Conference, known as COP27.
The annual summit will be held in the North African country from November 6 to November 18 this year.
The more than 60 youth delegates from March for Our Planet lobby group, will take almost two months to get to Egypt.
March for Our Planet global coordinator Daniel Helmer said the youth will be drawn from Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and Democratic Republic of Congo.
Also, Rwanda, Egypt, Sudan, South Sudan, Ethiopia, Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe and countries from outside Africa.
“The march will start at the United Nations compound in Gigiri on September 21 and move towards Kikuyu, Kiambu county,” Helmer told a press conference in Nairobi.
He said members of the team will tell their stories in Kisumu, Kericho, Nakuru, Mombasa, Diani, Funzi Island, Kajiado, Mwanza, Gulu, Juba and other areas along the route.
March for Our Planet national coordinator Lydia Kalekye said the caravan will emphasise on the importance of Lake Victoria.
She said they will also highlight initiatives, which local communities are doing to address climate change.
The caravan will follow the Nile River from Lake Victoria all the way to Sharm El-Sheik, Egypt, highlighting similar work being done across countries.
The stories will also be featured at COP27 along with a documentary that will be put together after the meeting.
The chairman of the lobby, Zablon Ogola, said the march will not be limited to the 60 delegates.
“We will be inviting as many youths as possible to join in the march within their home areas,” he said.
The initiative is backed by organisations such as Rhodes Tours, Friends of Ondiri Wetland, Jai Jagat Kenya, and The Catholic Youth Network for Environmental Sustainability Africa.
Others are Plant-for-the-Planet International, We Don’t Have Time Africa, Kisumu Environmental Champions and Ox Delivers.
The United Nations Climate Change Conferences are annual meetings held under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.
They serve as the formal meeting of the UNFCCC parties (Conference of the Parties), to assess progress in dealing with climate change.
(Edited by Bilha Makokha)
