Five Kenyans including President William Ruto have been named in the Independent Climate 100 List 2024 in recognition for their contributions towards environmental conservation.
Among Kenyans honoured alongside the Head of State are Wangari Mathai’s daughter Wanjira Mathai, Mithika Mwenda of the Pan African Climate Justice Alliance, Charlot Magayi and Wawa Gatheru.
The list, published by the British Online Newspaper, the Independent to coincide with Climate Week currently held in New York City, profiles the 100 most influential voices on environmental matters.
President Ruto was recognized for his commitment to expanding the renewables sector, particularly in geothermal, wind, and solar power. He is credited with introducing an annual tree-planting holiday last November as part of his larger ambition for Kenya to plant 15 billion trees in 10 years.
Notably, Kenya hosted the first Africa Climate Summit in Nairobi under Ruto's leadership in September 2024, which ended in a joint declaration demanding that major polluters commit more resources to help poorer nations.
The nod came months after the anti-government protests in June rejecting Finance Bill 2024. Faced with pressure, the Head of State dropped the bill in its entirety but the proposed taxes on eco-measures including items such as disposable nappies were amended.
Wanjira Mathai continues to operate the Green Belt Movement which was founded by her mother. Green Belt Movement has enabled 51 million trees to be planted in Kenya since 1977, tackling deeply entrenched problems of deforestation.
Additionally, she runs her own organization, the World Resources Institute Africa which supports female entrepreneurs and is a prominent voice at the United Nations (UN) on climate and justice in finance.
Mithika Mwenda is the co-founder and executive director of the Pan-African Climate Justice Alliance (PACJA), a collection of more than 70 organizations that have come together to address problems around the climate crisis.
Mwenda has worked in the climate sector for a decade and has a strong influence over climate policy on the continent. He advocates for sustainable solutions that are specifically tailored to the needs of African countries rather than those of the Western world, while also ensuring Africa’s development.
Charlot Magayi was raised in the Mukuru slums in Nairobi, and after becoming a mother at 16, she got a job selling charcoal. To address pollution posed by charcoal Magayi invented a clean stove in 2017 that uses biomass to cook, reducing pollution by as much as 90 per cent.
Magayi founded her company Mukuru Stoves and soon became a successful entrepreneur and climate activist. The company sold more than 400,000 stoves in 2023 which led to Magayi bagging numerous awards, including the Earthshot Prize in 2023.
She is currently building a 30,000-square-foot clean energy campus in Kenya and working on other types of new fuels that can reduce pollution.
Wawa Gatheru is a Kenyan-American climate activist and the founder of Black Girl Environmentalist which supports women of colour. Its aim is to create a representative and inclusive climate movement, and is now one of the biggest Black youth-led climate organizations in the United States, making her a powerful voice for underrepresented communities.
