Kajiado residents demand probe into 'Exploitative' carbon credit deals

Carbon credit brokers are quietly locking Kajiado communities into decades-long contracts worth millions of shillings, often without proper consultation or transparent benefit-sharing arrangements, residents have alleged in a damning petition to the county assembly.

The 13 residents from Ewuaso Oonkidong'i Ward have exposed what they describe as "flawed and opaque market-driven solutions" that exploit pastoral communities across Kenya's carbon-rich rangelands, covering over 2.5 million hectares in Kajiado County alone.

At the heart of their complaint lies a confidential 40-year carbon rights agreement seen by Nation, where a community ranch in Kajiado South transferred all carbon rights to a private brokerage firm, with the title deed modified to include joint land ownership for four decades.

"The firm and its affiliates will be responsible for generating carbon credits for sale on the voluntary carbon market based on the carbon rights derived from the project," reads the controversial agreement, which requires communities to implement rotational grazing management plans while surrendering control over their carbon assets.
The scale of carbon credit activity across Kajiado is staggering. In Kajiado South, the Maasai Wildlife Conservation Trust (MWCT) and REDD+ carbon projects cover at least one million acres, spanning Kuku A and B group ranches before extending to Imbirikani, Rombo group ranches, and the Eastern Chyulu community.

Meanwhile, soil carbon projects control the county's southern rangelands, while the Kajiado Rangeland Carbon Project (KRCP) straddles 1.5 million hectares across multiple sub-counties.

Yet residents say they have been kept in the dark about project scope, implementation timelines, and crucially, how revenues will be shared.
The 15-page petition reveals troubling practices by carbon developers, including making "token payments to communities before proper measurement, verification or documentation processes, creating false expectations and eroding trust."

Particularly concerning are soil carbon sequestration projects that "proceed without any scientific or credible measurements of carbon, making payment and carbon claims questionable," the petitioners argue.

The residents are demanding mandatory Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) for all carbon projects - in line with Kenya's carbon laws - transparent monitoring systems, and equitable benefit-sharing arrangements overseen by county authorities.

The controversy intensified after Governor Joseph Ole Lenku's dramatic 2023 decision to revoke all existing carbon credit agreements, citing corruption, only for brokerage firms to quietly return months later.

"We call for a formal investigation into the conduct of soil carbon companies and explore legal remedies for affected communities," the petition demands.
During a heated county assembly session on July 24, Members of County Assembly (MCAs) acknowledged the issue extends far beyond Ewuaso Oonkidong'i Ward, with brokers "preying on rangelands across the county, exploiting poor and illiterate locals easily enticed with quick money."

Kajiado's Department of Environment Chief Officer James Ngugi told  Nation the county is developing policies to regulate nature asset trade, but residents say this comes too late for communities already locked in long-term contracts.
Kenya's carbon credit trading is governed by the Climate Change (Carbon Markets) Regulations of 2024, which require project proponents to secure National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) approval and sign Community Development Agreements (CDAs), ensuring fair compensation.
However, existing projects have until 2026 to comply with these new regulations, leaving a two-year window where questionable agreements can continue operating under previous frameworks.

Carbon credits allow companies to offset unavoidable emissions by purchasing certified credits from projects that reduce or remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. One quality credit represents one tonne of CO₂ reduced or removed under internationally recognised standards.

But the Kajiado residents' petition comes at a time when there is rising global concern about carbon credit quality. Climate activists argue that many projects exaggerate climate benefits while downplaying potential social and environmental harms to local communities.

The county assembly has committed the petition to its Committee on Water, Environment and Natural Resources, which has been tasked with expediting investigations and reporting back to the Assembly.