Across Kenya’s coastlines, arid lands, mining zones, and sugar belts, communities have long faced land dispossession, environmental degradation, exploitative labour practices, and the silencing of their voices in the name of “development.”
Through the Fair, Green & Global (FGG) programme, ActionAid Kenya has worked alongside grassroots partners to change that narrative, placing women, young people, and communities at the center of economic and environmental decision-making.
Over the course of the programme, five counties, Kilifi, Kitui, Taita Taveta, Homa Bay, and Siaya, have become powerful examples of what happens when communities organize, claim their rights, and demand accountability.
In the salt-producing region of Marereni in Kilifi County, communities have endured years of illegal land acquisition, unsafe working conditions, and environmental damage caused by salt extraction activities. Salt workers have borne the brunt of labour exploitation and water pollution.
Working in partnership with the Malindi Human Rights Forum, the programme strengthened communities’ organizing power and legal awareness. Community members learned to document human rights violations, engage county authorities, and question corporate practices that displaced families and degraded natural resources.
Today, communities that once feared speaking out are confidently participating in public forums, advocating for clean water, fair labour conditions, and transparent land governance. Their leadership has reshaped local accountability conversations and inspired broader community mobilization.
“For many years, we struggled to secure land rights here in Marereni. But through our engagement with all stakeholders at the Marereni Salt Belt, supported by ActionAid, communities are now gaining secure and legal land ownership. People can plan for their future, support their families, and build fair, strong communities,” says Bahati Julius Charo, Champion for Land Rights at Mkado Community-Based Organisation in Marereni, Malindi, Kilifi County.
In Kitui and Taita Taveta counties, extractive industries expanded rapidly, often without meaningful community consultation. Mining activities threatened water sources, public health, and ancestral land rights, while communities remained largely excluded from decision-making spaces.
Through partnerships with the Centre for Human Rights and Civic Education and Taita Taveta Human Rights Watch, communities gained practical knowledge of environmental impact assessments, land legislation, and corporate accountability frameworks. Young activists documented cases of water contamination and environmental harm, strengthening advocacy efforts at the county level. Communities organized dialogues with authorities and demanded that companies respect the principles of free, prior, and informed consent.
Community members have made it clear that they are not opposed to progress, but to harmful and exclusionary development models.
“We are not against development; we welcome it. But it must be done the right way. Our minerals and our people must not be left behind. We want investment that respects our rights, protects our environment, and brings real, lasting benefits to our community,” says a community member from Ngaaiye, Mwingi, Kitui County.
Development projects in these counties are now increasingly evaluated through the lens of human rights, gender equality, and environmental sustainability.
For women miners in Taita Taveta County, organizing has also translated into economic empowerment. With support from ActionAid Kenya, members of the Mkamenyi Women Group received training on value addition and gemstone processing, enabling them to move beyond selling raw stones at exploitative prices.
“As a miner, I never fully understood the true value of gemstone mining until ActionAid supported me and my group, the Mkamenyi Women Group. Through their support, we received training on value addition. We can now process raw gemstones into finished products, which allows us to earn significantly better prices. Before, we sold unprocessed stones to brokers at very low rates,” explains Dredah Mwikamba, a miner and member of the Kasigau Women Group in Taita Taveta County.
In Homa Bay County, the sugar industry has long been associated with land disputes, labour exploitation, and gender-based violence. Widows and women farmers frequently lost access to land due to discriminatory inheritance practices and corporate land arrangements.
Partnering with the Nyarongi Paralegals Network, the programme strengthened community-based paralegals to provide legal support and referral services to survivors of gender-based violence. Women were supported to challenge unlawful land dispossession and assert their inheritance rights. Community forums created safe spaces to confront harmful patriarchal norms that perpetuate inequality. For many women, it was the first time their experiences were publicly recognized as rights violations rather than private struggles.
As a result, women are increasingly asserting their land rights and demanding accountability from companies operating in the sugar value chain.
“Securing ownership of the land my late husband left behind was a major challenge. I faced numerous obstacles from relatives. However, through the information sessions provided by ActionAid and the Nyarongi Paralegals Network, I learned about my legal options. After reporting the matter to my area Chief, I began the succession process. I now have all the necessary documents in place, and the title deed is being processed. It will be in my name by April 2026. This has given me peace of mind and the confidence to invest in the land without fear,” says Pamela Adoyo from Ndhiwa, Homa Bay County.
In Siaya County, communities faced challenges accessing the Yala Swamp land for agriculture. Through partnership with Support Community in Democratic Alliance (SCODA), the programme supported communities to organise and assert their rightful use of Yala Swamp land, an ongoing case with relevant authorities.
Training sessions strengthened understanding of land processes, legal safeguards, and inclusive decision-making structures. Community assemblies became more transparent and representative, with women actively shaping conversations about land use, conservation, and development priorities.
“The Yala Swamp is only a few meters from my home, yet we have been unable to use the land as we did before the investors came, due to ownership disputes between the community, investors, and the government. With support from partners such as ActionAid and the County Government of Siaya, and through ongoing dialogue meetings, we remain hopeful that there will soon be a resolution that allows us to utilize our God-given land,” says Awuor from Siaya County.
Across all five counties, the Fair, Green & Global programme achieved more than individual case victories, it shifted power dynamics. Communities moved from the margins to leadership positions in advocacy and governance. Young people emerged as environmental monitors and civic educators. Stronger networks were built to document violations, engage public authorities, and challenge harmful corporate practices.
Importantly, the programme reinforced the principle that economic development cannot come at the expense of human rights or environmental integrity. Trade and investment decisions have gendered impacts, and those most affected must have a decisive voice in shaping them.
“The Fair, Green & Global programme aimed to ensure that communities, especially women and young people, were at the heart of decisions affecting their land, resources, and livelihoods. It empowered people to claim their rights, hold authorities and corporations accountable, and shape development that is sustainable, equitable, and inclusive,” says James Ketta, FGG Programme Coordinator, ActionAid Kenya.
As the programme concludes, its legacy lives on in strengthened grassroots movements, informed community leaders, and growing public awareness of corporate accountability and gender justice. Communities in Kilifi, Kitui, Taita Taveta, Homa Bay, and Siaya are no longer passive recipients of external decisions. They are organized, informed, and determined to shape the policies and investments that define their futures. The Fair, Green & Global programme , supported by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs through ActionAid Netherlands, has shown that justice, equality, and sustainability are not abstract ideals, but achievable realities when communities, especially women and young people, are empowered to claim their rights and hold those in power to account.