Kenya, April 30 -- Many young people in Kajiado County took to the streets on Wednesday to protest a proposed deal involving carbon credits, which is about selling carbon offsets from a large area of land. This deal includes Oldonyonyokie Group Ranch and a foreign company, and it has raised worries about land rights and how the deal was made.

The protests, filled with chants like "We do not want carbon," show the growing frustration over carbon credit projects in the southern part of Kenya.

The demonstrations took place mainly in Oldonyonyokie Ranch, where people marched with sticks and sang songs in support of their cause. They faced police who were sent to keep the peace.

Local news reports state that the young protesters believe the foreign company is taking advantage of uneducated community members by getting their land agreements without proper permission.

One protester shared that "They are getting our parents' signatures without their consent; my parent didn't understand what they were signing." This was said during a similar protest on April 7.

The deal is between a US-based company called CarbonSolve and a Kenyan partner, Soils for the Future Africa (SftFA). They plan to create a big soil carbon project in Kajiado District that covers 1.5 million hectares.

CarbonSolve says that the Kajiado Rangeland Carbon Project (KRCP) will help restore rangelands and provide money to local communities, promising $2 for each hectare of grazing land.

However, local residents worry that the project could harm their grazing lands and homes, and they feel there has not been enough community involvement.

Kajiado Governor Joseph Ole Lenku has previously canceled carbon credit agreements because of unclear contracts and potential exploitation of the community.

In June 2023, Lenku warned in a public notice that all such agreements were canceled, saying that unregulated carbon markets hurt local people. Despite this, new agreements continue to create distrust in the community.

Many supporters on social media have praised young people in Kajiado for leading protests and teaching their parents not to sign carbon credit deals.

Another post included demonstrators chanting, "We Do Not Want Carbon," showing that the community is standing together against the deal.

This conflict has caused divisions within Oldonyonyokie Group Ranch. Some community members support the deal because they believe it could bring financial benefits, like funding for schools and health centers, similar to other projects in Kajiado.

On the other hand, those against it, including pastoralist groups, are worried about restrictions on their traditional grazing practices.

They echo concerns from past projects, like the Northern Kenya Grassland Carbon Project, which affected Borana and Maasai communities.

Kenya's push for carbon credits, supported by President William Ruto as an important export, has attracted both investment and criticism.

While some projects, like Mikoko Pamoja on Kenya's coast, have funded community infrastructure, critics believe that larger deals often favor corporate interests rather than protecting the rights of local people.

A report from Survival International in 2023 expressed concerns about how carbon projects can disrupt the lives of pastoralists, which is a feeling shared by many in Kajiado.

These protests come during a larger discussion about Kenya's carbon market. The Carbon Credit Trading and Benefit Sharing Bill, 2023, is still waiting for approval in parliament to set rules for such deals.

Experts caution that without clear laws, these projects may push communities away and undermine climate goals.

Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Bana Kenya.