Founded in 2009 and a Thousand Currents partner since 2023, Center for Justice Governance and Environmental Action (CJGEA) works to protect and advance the human and environmental rights of Indigenous communities affected by industrial extractivism and chemical pollution. CJGEA works across Kenya’s 47 counties, filing public interest litigation, delivering educational training, and mobilizing public protests and media campaigns. Among many achievements, the organization has been recognized for leading the campaigns that shut down 17 toxic sites and smelters across the country. Phyllis Omido is one of the co-founders of CJGEA and a Kenyan environmental defender.

Her tremendous leadership and tireless work have received international recognition: she received the Goldman Environmental Prize in 2015 and the Right Livelihood Award in 2023.

We spoke with Phyllis to dive deeper into the lessons she’s learned in community organizing as a Kenyan environmental defender, the origins of her activism, and how she sustains a vision for justice for the long-haul.

The interview was conducted by Deepa Ranganathan and transcribed by Fiona Teng.

Q: What drew you to becoming a Kenyan environmental defender?

A: As a Kenyan environmental defender, I’m from the western side of Kenya, but I live on the coast. I grew up in the rural areas, and my mother and father were both teachers. When you’re raised in the rural setting, you don’t buy fruit, you eat fruits from the trees; you don’t buy eggs, you keep chickens in your house. You wake up in the morning, go into the farm, and your children will have food. You do not understand the joy of such a lifestyle until you have lived it. That’s how I grew up.

So coming from that kind of environment, it was absolutely unacceptable to me as a Kenyan environmental defender that people, especially children, should have to live under huge dark, smelly smoke, day and night. I was quite shocked when I learned that some people have to pay a price to get basic access to clean water, air, and food. Why should any human being be forced to live in such circumstances? People in power expected the affected communities to just accept and live under such conditions and not raise any resistance. I cannot passively accept that as a Kenyan environmental defender.

Read the full article about Kenyan environmental defenders by Deepa Ranganathan at Thousand Currents.