Native tribes, local groups make biggest climate impact, not NGOs - report

It is not the big-name institutions but local communities and indigenous groups that are doing the heavy lifting in climate justice across Kenya, a new report reveals.

The report, ‘The State of the Climate Justice Movement in Kenya,’ by Natural Justice, highlights the critical role of grassroots actors — often overlooked — in fighting the negative impacts of climate change, reversing environmental degradation and defending human rights.

Natural Justice, an NGO, is an African non-profit organisation that uses the law to support communities in decisions affecting their land, culture and environment.

 “While the spotlight often falls on NGOs and formal institutions, the real frontline of this struggle lies within communities,” the report reads.

“From Indigenous peoples defending ancestral lands to women safeguarding food systems and youth organising for cleaner futures, this is the activism of climate justice.”

 The study found most community actors don’t even label themselves as part of a ‘movement’ — they simply see themselves as protectors of their water, forests, health and dignity. “This is where the climate justice movement truly lives,” it reads.

These community-based organisations, indigenous groups and social interest networks are often the first responders to climate-related crises. Yet they remain underrepresented in government decision-making and largely disconnected from the national and county-level climate governance frameworks.

 “They have limited access to resources as well as significant capacity gaps on climate justice matters,” the report reads, identifying this as a key reason for their limited engagement and visibility.

  The disparity is stark: while international NGOs operate 90 per cent of the time at the national level, indigenous peoples and local community organisations are active in over 70 per cent of grassroots-level interventions — making their impact far more tangible on the ground.

  Locally registered NGOs, by contrast, split their activities more evenly between national and regional levels.

 Regions such as North Eastern, South Eastern and the Coast have emerged as hotspots for climate justice networks, which focus on building resilience, defending human rights and adapting to worsening climate conditions.

 In an encouraging trend, the report finds that nearly every region in Kenya has at least one active legal case related to climate justice. Communities are increasingly turning to the courts to hold polluters accountable, challenge land grabs, and defend their environment.

  “Litigation is becoming a key tool for communities to challenge extractive industries, protect ancestral lands and demand climate accountability,” East Africa Hub director at Natural Justice, Elizabeth Kariuki, said.

 Where climate justice initiatives deliver direct benefits — such as clean energy, better food systems and improved healthcare — community engagement is reported to increase significantly. The report cites the World Bank’s Financing Locally-Led Climate Action Program (FLLOCA) as an example of how targeted funding can catalyse local action.

 Speaking at the report’s launch last week, Prof Patricia Kameri Mbote, director of the Law Division at the United Nations Environment Programme emphasised the foundational role of justice in tackling the climate crisis.

 “Climate justice is what gives climate action its moral and political legitimacy. Without justice, climate action fails,” she said.

 Mbote called for more robust civic education and stronger enforcement mechanisms. “Access to justice must move beyond symbolism to become systemic and tangible,” she said.

 She praised Kenya’s movement for its resilience, saying, “This report shows Kenya’s climate justice movement is mobilising, adapting and innovating. It also signals what the future of climate governance should look like: equitable, participatory and legally enforceable.”

 The report also identifies gender and health as critical entry points for expanding the climate justice movement, particularly in underserved rural areas.

 While Kenya’s digital infrastructure is growing, the movement is yet to fully harness technology for data collection, early warning systems and storytelling.

“Media houses and journalists must step up. Without visibility, these courageous efforts risk being silenced or erased,” the report reads.

 Despite persistent challenges — limited funding, exclusion from decision-making, and political apathy — the movement continues to grow in creativity and strength.

 “This report lays bare both the power and the precarity of Kenya’s climate justice movement,” Kariuki said. “Real climate leadership is being forged in communities by women, indigenous peoples, youth and grassroots organisers, working under immense pressure and with limited support.”

She reaffirmed Natural Justice’s commitment, saying, “We stand shoulder-to-shoulder with them, committed to legal empowerment, policy influence, and movement building. The path ahead demands bold collaboration, deeper solidarity, and the full inclusion of those at the frontline. That is the future we are working toward — together.”

 Some of the indigenous communities include hunter-gatherers such as the Ogiek, Sengwer and Yaaku, as well as pastoralist groups such as the Maasai, Samburu, Turkana and Pokot.

 Instant analysis

Kenya’s grassroots climate defenders, not the big NGOs, are doing the heavy lifting — without recognition, resources, or a seat at the table. A new report calls for urgent inclusion, funding and justice for those at the frontlines.