When Kaluki Paul reflects on his younger years, he fondly recalls his life at seven years old. While many children around him were more concerned with playground games, he took an interest in wildlife. Everything about the different species that roamed freely in the wild fascinated him. Engrossed by pictures and facts, he joined a newly introduced school wildlife club called Bushbaby Wildlife Club. Three months in, he and the rest of the club members wrote a poem. The piece spoke about the importance of protecting the environment and was entered in a grand national contest. At the time, Kaluki was just excited to take part in something that reached beyond his home region of Machakos. His participation in the club would unknowingly set the pace for his climate change activism in later years.
In 2008, Kaluki joined Mumbuni Boys High School where he continued to champion conservation efforts. During his time there, he joined the Environmental Club and eventually became the captain. Leadership came naturally to him. Therefore, he initiated tree planting efforts and went a step further to organise school events. Kaluki did this in order to educate his peers on climate change issues he learnt about during club meetings. Behind his zeal for his service to mother nature was an inspiration. He hoped to follow in the footsteps of Wangari Maathai.
To realise his dream, Kaluki selected Environmental Conservation as his area of study. After that, he was admitted to the University of Nairobi. Yet again, he immersed himself into co-curriculars by joining the Chiromo Environmental Awareness Club. Through this club and his undergraduate studies, Kaluki was part of the team that affirmed and began the process of cleaning up Nairobi City Park. Similarly, the team cleaned the neighbouring Nairobi River. It was a fulfilling experience to restore these spaces to their former glory. Certainly, these experiences affirmed Kaluki’s choice to follow in Mathai’s footsteps as a climate activist.
After graduating, Kaluki decided to focus on creating awareness about conservation efforts. He worked in the communication departments of several organizations in the conservation space, one of these being 350.org. At the time, the government had commissioned plans to establish a 1050-megawatt coal-fired power plant in Lamu Town. The town is one of Kenya’s UNESCO World Heritage Sites. This move would not only increase Kenya’s dependence on fossil fuels. As a result, it would also put Lamu at the risk of losing its World Heritage status. Kaluki worked closely with his team to challenge this development. The DeCoalonize Kenya campaign was the outcome.
His experience in communications came in handy. He developed effective messages that challenged the use of coal and emphasised the need to transition into renewable energy sources. For instance, Kaluki held community dialogue forums about the importance of preserving Lamu’s history. In addition, he created awareness for a petition to rally support from the public against this development. After three years of raising awareness on the issue, DeCoalonize Kenya won the case in 2019. The National Environmental Tribunal cancelled the coal plant’s construction license.
It was only forward from here. Kaluki dove into more climate activism. Soon enough he had joined Youth4Nature in 2019 as the Africa Regional Coordinator, and he rose to Regional Director the next year. In this role, he continues to lead storytelling campaigns and capacity building for youth involvement in environmentalism in Africa. Working with young people is a fulfilling endeavour for Kaluki. However, he also felt the need to be part of a network that caters to a wider age demographic.
In 2020, Kaluki co-founded the Kenya Environmental Action Network (KEAN), an intergenerational networking space for people working in conversation. Since its inception, KEAN has worked on several projects. These initiatives bring together key stakeholders to find solutions for Kenya’s biggest environmental issues. One of KEAN’s key projects is the Bustani Project. This initiative is being implemented in schools around the country. It teaches learners how to grow fruits, vegetables, and indigenous trees. That is to say, the aim of Bustani Project is to deliver experiential environmental education to learners in Kenya.
Kaluki’s time, effort and passion for the environment led to the 2021 Climate Change Voice of the Year Award. The award was from We Naturalists – a platform that celebrates the conservation efforts of individuals and institutions. His hummingbird spirit is an inspiration for the next generation of climate change activists.
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