News and Media
2011
Journalists’ Roundtable on Climate Change Reporting, Nairobi
In August 2011, the Journalists’ Roundtable Meeting on Climate Change Reporting was held in Nairobi.
The main focus of the meeting was climate change reporting in Kenya in the run-up to the forthcoming Climate Change Talks – COP 17 to be held in Durban in November 2011. ILEG recognises that in developing countries such as Kenya, where information sources are limited, the media is a critical player in the communication of development information. Consequently, proper communication of such information can help in the creation of awareness, the raising of understanding and the stimulation of debate on climate change and other development issues. Read more.
Forest Law Enforcement and Compliance Workshop, Mombasa
The declaration of the year 2011 is the International Year of Forests has brought to the fore the importance of forests. Kenya is indeed, endowed with various types of forests. However, the country has seen this resource decline rapidly to fall to less than 2% which is way below the 10% threshold. The major cause of this is weak governance at the legal, policy and institutional levels. This is evident in the lack of regulations and guidelines to operationalize of the Forest Act, 2005, Institutional conflicts arising from overlapping mandates jeopardizing effective enforcement, and the lack of adequate capacity to name a few.
It is against this backdrop that ILEG organized this workshop which brought together 53 participants from various government departments and institutions e.g. NEMA, KFS, KWS, KEFRI, WARMA, Judiciary, State Law Office etc.; non-governmental organizations e.g. WWF-EARPO, etc. and media representatives.Read more.
International Workshop on Media and Sustainable Development
Between February 27 and March 2, 2011, the Institute for Law and Environmental Governance (ILEG), in partnership with the Kenya Environment and Science Journalists Association (KENSJA), Maseno University (MU) and the Kenya Correspondents Association (KCA) held an International Workshop on Media and Sustainable Development in Africa.
This workshop was informed by the fact that development communication had a critical in fostering sustainable development. However, it was noted that the media faced several challenges in communicating this information. Key among this include: the lack of capacity or training in development communication; the technical nature of issues in the environment field e.g. climate change; the lack of adequate resource support; and the lack of focus on development stories among others.Read more.
2007
ILEG Publishes Land Law Report
At a colourful ceremony at the Whitesands Hotel, The Chief Justice Hon Evan Gicheru launched the Land and Environment Reports. Publication of the collection, which highlights Kenya's environmental case law in book and electronic form, was necessitated by the need for strict monitoring of environmental management.
The launch of the reports marked the commencement of comprehensive monitoring and reporting of environmental law. This information will help the public, judicial officers, legal practitioners and environmental management organizations in application, interpretation and enforcement of environmental law.Read more.
2006
Africa’s Dilemma: The GM Struggle
A leading Nairobi-based environmental lawyer, Odhiambo MakOloo, says it is wrong for research on GM crops to go on in Africa knowing very well most of these countries have no legal or regulatory frameworks to take care of the side effects of GMO products. Read more.
2005
Maasai: Risk of Conflict Increasing in Kenya
Suppressing ethnic diversity and forcing minorities into poverty and politically marginalized, is the quickest route to conflict, explains Maurice Odhiambo Makoloo. Learn more.
2004
Tread Carefully on Genetically Modified Organisms/Foods
As with any new product, the impacts of GMOs on people, on animals, and on the environment are difficult to predict, so it is important that the potential risks be evaluated before GMOs are approved for release, explains Maurice Odhiambo Makoloo. Read more
2003
Protecting Forests in Kenya
E-LAW advocates at the Institute for Law and Environmental Governance (ILEG) in Nairobi, Kenya, successfully delayed government's plans to remove protection for 10% of Kenya's remaining forests. The Government of Kenya planned to excise and "degazette" 167,000 acres of forest. The proposed deforestation would have devastating effects on ecosystems throughout the country and region. Kenya's forests provide habitat for many species including the black and white colobus monkey, a threatened species on the 2000 Red List issued by The World Conservation Union (IUCN).
Maurice Odhiambo Makoloo reports that ILEG, working with other lawyers and representing many citizens and organizations, filed a precedent-setting case in the High Court of Kenya in Nairobi and obtained a temporary injunction halting plans to cut the forests.
E-LAW U.S. and partners in Zambia, Tanzania, the U.K., and Sri Lanka provided ILEG with legal and scientific information to support the case. The case alleged that the Kenyan government took these actions without following proper procedures. The case has delayed the forest excision for many months and now a new more environmentally friendly government is reconsidering the plan. A hearing scheduled for May 2003 was postponed but the injunction still stands. Source: E-LAW Advocate - More
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