31/07/2025
Deepening Dialogue. Driving Accountability. Defending Rights.
As the secretariat of the Isiolo Community of Practice on Land, Environment and Natural Resources, Jajabdthu Afrika continues to walk with over 20 community based organizations in the county. Together, we are building a strong, informed and coordinated voice for justice and sustainable development.
On September 13, 2024, with the support of the Legal Resources Foundation, we had critical engagement between our community members and duty bearers from the judiciary, the Law Society of Kenya, the Kenya Forest Service, the National Environment Management Authority, the Meteorological Department, the Office of the Attorney General, and the County Government of Isiolo. Chiefs from Leparua, Burat and Ngaremara were also present.
The goal was clear. To create space where the lived realities of communities affected by land injustices, environmental degradation, and mismanagement of natural resources could be heard directly by institutions with the mandate to act.
The conversation was honest and sometimes uncomfortable. Communities raised long-standing grievances including:
Waste being dumped along rivers and near settlements
Contaminated water sources linked to poor sewage management
Escalating deforestation and illegal charcoal burning
Ongoing land disputes, some involving powerful institutions
Weak coordination between community structures and enforcement agencies
These are not new problems. But naming them together, face to face, allowed us to push for practical commitments.
We did not leave with promises. We left with action points. Duty bearers committed to:
Provide legal support in public interest litigation around land
Reconstitute ward planning committees to include more community input
Mobilize technical advice and awareness drives on sustainable forest use
Improve collaboration with waste management offices
Act on specific case files shared by community members
This process is not about one meeting. It is about persistence. It is about local voices shaping the future of Isiolo’s lands and ecosystems. It is about holding duty bearers accountable and walking with them towards solutions.
We thank all community of practice members for showing courage and consistency. We thank the Legal Resources Foundation for being a strong partner in this journey. And we call on every institution that made commitments to honor the trust that the people of Isiolo placed in them that day.
This is what it means to build power from below. This is what it looks like when the community speaks and is heard.
