A group of activists on Monday staged protests at the Green Park Bus Terminus against the ongoing African Climate Summit 2023 being held at the Kenya International Convention Centre (KICC).
The activists marched from Nyayo Stadium to the terminus, carrying placards with the message "Less Talk More Action."
Further, the activists expressed their frustration that African participants were excluded from the summit, being hosted by President William Ruto and attended by over 10 Heads of State, VIPs, and delegates representing governments and various environmental institutions.
The activists voiced their frustration, highlighting the organizers' failure to address the significant challenges related to climate change.
They intend to march to KICC and submit a petition later in the day.
One member emphasised that climate change is not an isolated issue but rather a consequence of societal systems, including those led by political leaders.
"This (climate change crisis) can not be solved through technology changes alone but requires fundamental system change to our societies," the activist added.
Additionally, the civil rights groups urged first-world nations to shoulder their responsibility as the primary contributors to climate change.
"Rich nations should reduce their emissions to zero but must also provide poorer nations with the funds to deal with the crisis," the activists added.
An activist from Nigeria demanded the immediate halt to the extraction of fossil fuel and the expansion of oil refineries across the globe.
President William Ruto inaugurated the summit on Monday, September 4, extending a warm invitation to all attendees to collaborate in addressing the challenges posed by climate change.
He underscored that the summit's primary focus is to examine ideas, evaluate various viewpoints, and unlock viable solutions.
"Over the next three days, be ready to be challenged in this dynamic ecosystem of dialogue and discovery. African and global leaders, innovation trailblazers, experts, investors, and captains of industry are here to explore the opportunities, tackle the barriers, and scale up solutions," Ruto stated.
