Women and girls worldwide bear the brunt of the devastating impacts of climate change. Nevertheless, they are climate champions and they continue to stand at the forefront in providing solutions to climate change. According to the Gender Snapshot 2024, by 2050, climate change is likely to push up to 158 million more women and girls into poverty (16 million more than the total number of boys and men).
As the world continues to grapple with the realities of climate change, policymakers, environmentalists, researchers, and climate activists are driving efforts to mitigate its effects, and Kenyan women are some of the leading voices in this fight.
Oftentimes, their efforts are overlooked, yet their contributions are significant. We must recognise their value, protect them from climate impacts, and include them in climate decision-making.
Through innovations, climate-tech solutions, and agricultural practices, women continue to shape the future of a green Kenya and a green world. Green Climate Network is keen to celebrate trailblazing women transforming the climate sector in 2025:
1. Professor Wangari Maathai
Professor Wangari Maathai, alias the ‘woman of trees’, was the first African to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. She worked with the National Council of Women of Kenya, where she encouraged women in rural villages to plant trees in order to slow desertification and deforestation.
She formed the Green Belt Movement in 1977. The platform has planted over 51 million trees in Kenya and empowered over 30,000 women with training in natural resource management. Wangari died in 2011 at the age of 71, but her legacy lives on.
2. First Lady Mama Rachel Ruto
As the first lady of Kenya, she’s a distinguished thought leader in environment and climate action. She is the founder of Mama Doing Good and a pioneer of the joyful women’s organisation. Climate change action being among the pillars in the Mama Doing Good program, she participates in the government national tree growing restoration campaign, her objective being to catalyse a women and youth-led climate action that improves the adaptive and mitigative capacity of the society to climate change.
She has received prestigious accolades for her accomplishment and efforts which includes, the State Commendation of Elder of the Order of the Golden Heart (EGH), Kenya’s second highest civilian honor, Honorary Fellowship of Women Empowerment from Binary University in Malaysia and the 2023 KISS Humanitarian Award. She made an address during the launch of continent-wide campaign to build resilience of women and girls in the face of climate change and pledged to advocate for climate justice.
3.Dr. Deborah Barasa
Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Climate Change and Forestry, stands out as a leading woman in climate governance. She spearheads Kenya’s 15-billion-tree initiative, promotes carbon markets and climate finance, and champions green jobs through forestry, bamboo, and waste management. Barasa links environmental stewardship with economic empowerment through circular economy models.
Her inclusive leadership engages women, youth, and communities in restoration efforts, advancing gender equality and livelihoods. Internationally, she has led Kenya in climate diplomacy, including a carbon cooperation agreement with Switzerland under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement, reinforcing her role in shaping sustainable, low-carbon development.
4. Wanjira Maathai
Wanjira is a well-known force in environmental advocacy. Following in the footsteps of her mother, Prof. Wangari Maathai, she has spearheaded major transformative initiatives. Serving as the Managing Director for Africa and Global Partnerships at the World Resources Institute, her work takes on global issues like deforestation and energy access.
She was the previous chair of the Green Belt Movement and is the current chair of the Wangari Maathai Foundation. She takes part in leading the African Forest Landscape Restoration Initiative (AFR100), which aims to restore deforested land through agroforestry.
Mathai serves on the advisory board of the Clean Cooking Alliance and is also a member of the Earth Chapter International Council. She also serves on the board of trustees of the Centre for International Forestry Research (CIFOR). She is also one of a few six-second EQ practitioners.
In addition, Maathai sits on the board of The World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF) in Kenya. In 2018, Mathai was selected as one of the 100 Most Influential Africans by New African magazine, as well as the Top Influential African Women by the African Leadership University. She was also one of TIME’s most influential African Women in multiple years.
5. Elizabeth Wathuti
Elizabeth Wathuti is a Kenyan environmentalist ,activist and the founder of the Green Generative Initiative, (GGI) which aims at creating an environmentally conscious generation. GGI encourages young environmental enthusiasts, environmental and climate education, building climate resilience and greening schools and has been able to plant over 30,000 seedlings. Wathuti is also a member of the Green Belt Movement, which was founded by her role model, Professor Wangari Maathai.
She is a recipient of a Wangari Maathai Scholarship award for her commitment to environmental conservation. Her works have earned her tremendous accolades and recognition which include, Green Climate Fund climate youth champion award in 2019, The Diana International Award, UN Young Champions of the Earth finalist for Africa 2019, International Youth Day 2019 recognition by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, 100 Most Influential Young Africa, Bloggers Association of Kenya (BAKE) Awards 2018 for the best environment blog among other awards.
6.Soipan Tuya
Popularly known as The Green MP, Soipan Tuya is the first woman from the Maasai community to serve in Kenya’s Cabinet, continues to be an influential voice in climate leadership in 2025. As former Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Climate Change and Forestry, she championed inclusive participation of women, youth, and communities in restoration and environmental programmes.
Her leadership laid the foundation for Kenya’s 15-billion-tree initiative and strong climate finance frameworks driving low-carbon development. Tuya’s work strengthened Kenya’s role in global climate diplomacy and advanced community-based conservation. Her legacy as a pioneer Maasai woman leader bridges gender, climate justice, and sustainable development across Africa.
7. Joyce Gachugi Waweru
Joyce has contributed to plastic waste reduction through the Packaging Producer Responsibility Organisation (PAKPRO). She has steered waste management and implemented circular economy solutions, contributing to the conservation of natural resources and the reduction of plastic waste pollution.
8. Lorna Rutto
Lorna Rutto came to the fore of climate policy following her massive efforts as an ecopreneur. She is the founder and CEO of EcoPost, a foundation she founded alongside her co-founder, Charles Kalama, in 2009. The foundation recycles plastic waste to manufacture eco-friendly plastic lumber and also creates sustainable jobs. By providing an alternative to timber, they conserve forests thereby maintaining water catchment areas.
Lorna’s efforts has earned her numerous awards including the Cartier Women’s Initiative Award sub-Saharan Laureate (2011), Acumen Fund 2011, Worldwide Fund for Nature 2010, in 2011 named one of the Top 40 Women under 40 in Kenya-Business Daily Kenya, in 2012, featured on the 20 youngest power women in Kenya by Forbes.
She was nominated the Guardian among Africa’s top 25 women achievers, 2013 and feted Enablis Energy Safaricom Business Launchpad Award, 2017.
9. Anne Waiguru
Well-known as the current governor of Kirinyaga county in Kenya, Waiguru has stepped up her administration’s climate resilience and development agenda into a broad range of community-focused projects aimed at tackling environmental challenges, improving livelihoods and promoting clean energy. She led a distribution of 5,800 free gas cylinders to households among Kirinyaga residents.
This was to reduce the use of firewood and charcoal, protect forests and safeguard health. It was part of the Financing Locally Led Climate Action (FLLoCA) programme, a government initiative that empowers counties to implement climate adaptation projects. Alongside that, she’s also involved in water supply and irrigation support, waste management and climate-smart agriculture.
As part of an agroforestry initiative to increase tree cover, she distributed seedlings to farmers. As a result of her efforts, President Ruto appointed her to the newly established National Climate Change Council in the wake of her ongoing campaigns addressing climate-related challenges.
Also, she delivered a speech at the COP28 in Dubai where she shed light on the plight of women and children in the face of climate change. She has received an award as a political trailblazer of the year during the East Africa Women of Excellence Awards, which also shows her political involvement in climate.
10. Anita Soina
Anita is a global climate and community development advocate from the Maasai community and also the writer of the book Green War, which talks of the journey and challenges faced by environmental warriors from the Global South.
She founded Space Warriors at the age of 18, which is an environmental organisation that helps youth become environmentally conscious. She also found a way to connect climate to other social issues by founding the Soina Foundation. She has focused her activism on water security and good sanitation practice.
Her accomplishments have not left her unrecognised. She was nominated to represent as a speaker in COP26 in the UK, was also part of UNEA 5, Stockholm plus 50 in Sweden, Sustainable Energy for All forum in Rwanda, among others.
Sonia has an active social media prescence which she uses to inform her followers about SDGs and also focuses on climate justice.
She was the new 2023-2024 Global Youth Champion for UN Hosted partnership on Sanitation and Water for All (SWA), is an ambassador of Wild About Life campaigns and also part of the communication team at We Don’t Have Time organisation.
11. Nzambi Matee
Known for her innovative and creative ways of conserving waste into sustainable materials, Nzambi has shown that engineering can be an expertise with environmental sustainability. Nzambi Matee is an engineer and environmentalist who has pioneered sustainable efforts by recycling plastic to make bricks that can be stronger than concrete through her foundation, Gjenge Makers. She received the Young Champions of the Earth (2020), Women of the Year Eco-Champion Award and SDG Action Award among other awards.
12. Faith Odhiambo
Faith Odhiambo is a Kenyan lawyer and the current president of the Law Society of Kenya (LSK). Her involvement in climate-related issues is primarily through her research interests and advocacy. As a researcher and PhD student at the University of Nairobi, Faith Odhiambo focuses on issues related to climate change, among other areas.
Her work in human rights also indirectly contributes to climate justice, as she advocates for the rights of individuals and communities affected by environmental issues. As a lecturer at the University of Nairobi’s School of Law, she lectures on Environmental Laws. Her advocacy for human rights and social justice can have a positive impact on communities affected by climate change.
Faith Odhiambo has received notable awards and recognitions for her research interests and academic works, such are the 2024 International Jurist of the Year Award from the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ).
She was honored with the 2025 Commonwealth Rule of Law Award for her unwavering commitment to justice and human rights. She was listed among Top 50 Women Lawyers in Kenya highlighting her expertise and contributions to the legal profession and the LSK Distinguished Service Award received in 2021.
13. Lilian Kamanja Kanana
Lilian Kamanja is an accomplished Renewable Energy Specialist serving as a project engineer at Kenya Power. Beyond her role at Kenya Power, she co-founded Gamma Energy, a platform that promotes mentorship, networking, and professional registration for female engineers.
She also serves as Vice Chair of the Institute of Electrical & Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Power & Energy Society. She’s passionate about eradicating energy poverty and is leading efforts to retrofit diesel power stations with solar and wind energy, advancing access to clean and reliable power.
Her leadership and technical contributions earned her recognition in the 2024 African Energy Chamber’s 25 Under 40 Energy Women Rising Stars. Top 40 Under 40 is an annual list published by Business Daily Africa. Earned the African Queen of Energy Research Award in December 2024 and has been named among Kenya’s Top 40 Under 40 Women for 2025 by Business Daily Africa. Lilian also got a scholarship from the Ministry of Energy and the International Solar Alliance through Kenya Power, where she had worked for a year.
14. Claire Nasike Akello
Claire Nasike Akello is a Kenyan agroecologist, founder of the Hummingbird Foundation, an initiative that connects school children to nature by establishing organic food and botanical gardens, and Global Advisor on Climate Resilient Livelihoods at Christian Aid.
She previously served as the Regional Coordinator for the Global Landscapes Forum and led Greenpeace Africa’s “Seed is Sovereign” campaign project. Previously, she also worked as a Food For Life Campaigner at Greenpeace Africa.
As a food and seed sovereignty advocate, she has received prestigious accolades for her work. In 2015, she received the Wangari Maathai Scholarship Award for her work on environmental conservation in Budalang’i, Busia County, as a third awardee and was featured in the Top 40 Women Under 40 2025. She has also been nominated twice for the Kenya bloggers awards (BAKE) in 2015 and 2018.
15.Wanjuhi Njoroge
Wanjuhi is a Kenyan entrepreneur and nature advocate dedicated to driving positive changes in Kenya. She is the founder of People Planet Africa, an enterprise involved in forest protection and restoration. She’s also the founder and president of the communications company Nelig Group, the nonprofit RootEd Africa and The Knowledge Group Limited. In 2021, she took part in a panel event of international experts called Climate Change: Why should we care? Organised by Science Museum Group.
She has held a number of positions: Vital Voices fellow, World Economic Forum member and leader of the Nairobi group, and has in turn received recognition and awards for her work. In 2018, I was awarded a Young Leader Project (YELP) fellowship by the LeÓ African Institute, and was also in the Top 40 Under 40 (2016).
Wanjuhi is also the Kenyan representative on the UN Women East and Southern Africa Region (ESAR) Youth Steering Committee and is part of the team implementing Internet for All projects within the World Economic Forum. Her works ensure people embrace eco-friendly and inclusive practices for lasting changes.
16. Susan Chomba
Susan Chomba is a Kenyan scientist and environmentalist who is the Director of Vital Landscapes for Africa, where she leads their work on ‘Forests, Food systems and People ‘. Chomba is also a distinguished ambassador for the Race to Zero and Race to Resilience under the UN High-Level Champions for Climate Action. Susan earlier joined the International Centre for Research in Agroforestry, where she led the Regreening Africa programme, which involved the restoration of degraded lands in Africa.
As a result of her amazing works, she has been awarded and recognised several times. She received the Peter Henry Forestry Postgraduate Award the first recipient at Bangor University. In 2016, she was among the 16 Women at the Restoring the Earth Global Landscapes Forum.
In 2022, she was featured among 25 women shaping climate action globally by Greenbiz and was in the 100 BBC Women in 2023. She’s also a member of the African Academy of Sciences (AAS) and an associate editor for political ecology for the international journal, Frontiers in Human Dynamics.
17.Esther Wanjiru
Esther Wanjiru is a trailblazer in the climatech agriculture space in Africa who was driven by the passion to transform marginalised smallholder farmers’ lives. She is the founder and managing director of Farmer Lifeline Kenya, which is a foundation that helps farmers get ahead of pests and pathogens with a proprietary disease detection device. This, in turn, reduces climate change and hunger within the most severely impacted areas.
Esther has been recognised with numerous awards, which serve as a testament to her accomplishments. She received the Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation in 2024, which marked a tremendous encouragement and a powerful inspiration for her team.
In 2022, she received the AWIEF African Youth Adapt Award at the UN Conference of the Parties (COP27) in Egypt, the AGRF’s African Food Prize Awards, the 2022 Agrihack, and the COMESA Awards, among many others. She was also honoured with the Presidential Honorary Medal conferred by President Kagame of Rwanda.
18. Patricia Kombo
Patricia Kombo is a passionate Kenyan environmentalist and activist with a degree in communication and journalism, and is also a climate change and adaptation master’s student. She is the founder of PaTree Initiative, which aims in the contribution to conserving nature through promoting climate literacy.
The initiative fosters environmental education and literacy in schools through the creation of an environment by planting trees. It also promotes sustainable land use practices, which helps adapt and mitigate the effects of climate change.
Also, among her achievements, she was named a UN Convention to Combat Desertification land hero in 2022. She challenged world leaders during the opening session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention to Combat Desertification in Côte d’Ivoire. She was also invited as a speaker during the commemoration of World Day to Combat Drought in Spain.
To recognise her tremendous accomplishments, she has received several awards, which include the She Can Award by Kotex Kenya and was a Mock cop delegate representing Kenya. Through her writing skills, she managed to be among the top 5 in the Blog4Dev competition by the World Bank.
Patricia was also Part of the youth consultation for updated NDCs in Kenya, the youth of the year 35 under 35 of the environment category in Kenya and a mock delegate representing Kenya.
19. Phyllis Omido
Phyllis Omido is a Kenyan environmental activist known for organising protests against a lead smelting plant located in a slum near Mombasa. The plant was causing lead poisoning by raising the lead content in the environment, killing residents, particularly children. The plant was ultimately closed.
In 2009, Omido founded The Centre for Justice, Governance and Environmental Action (CJGEA), an organisation established to address environmental issues faced by the settlements near Kenya’s industrial areas. CJGEA partnered with Human Rights Watch in the creation of a film on the poisoning of communities with toxic materials.
As a result of her works, Omido has received numerous accolades. She was one of the six recipients of the 2015 Goldman Environmental Prize. She received a trophy along with prize money of US$175,000 or 5.7 million Kenya Shillings.
She was also featured on the list of the BBC’s 100 Women announced in 2020, was included in the Time 100, Time’s annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world 2021, was Mombasa County Environment Champion, earned the Italian Bar Association Woman of Courage and Honorary member of the Bar 2018 and also the Ethecon Blue Planet Award 2020.
20. Chebet Lesan
Chebet Lesan is a well-known name who stands out as a Kenyan entrepreneur and environmentalist. She is the founder of BrightGreen Energy, an energy innovation company known for its sustainable biomass briquettes that replace charcoal and firewood use.
The waste materials used for the briquettes are post-harvest biomass wastes like sawdust and discarded flour that are of no use to farmers. Her invention was estimated to have saved 800 tons of trees in Kenya by the end of 2017.
As a token of her marvellous works, she has received notable prestigious awards such as the Queen’s Young Leader Award 2017, Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African leaders, 2017 Scale-up Fellow at MIT, Cartier’s Women’s Initiative 2019 finalist.
She was also Africa’s Business Heroes Awards 2022 1st prize winner and the 2018 Clean Cooking Alliance Woman Entrepreneur of the year. Chebet believes clean cooking energy access is a fundamental need and should be prioritised, and she’s working towards it.
21. Professor Winnie Mitullah
Professor Winnie works as a Research Professor of Development Studies at the Institute for Development Studies, University of Nairobi and the UNESCO UNITWIN Chair. She has made significant contributions to addressing climate change through her research, policy work, and advocacy.
She researched climate change and urban development, highlighting the need for approaches addressing these issues.Through her research and partnerships with organisations like UN-Habitat, UNDP, and UNEP, she has influenced policy discussions on climate change.
Professor Winnie V. Mitullah has received several recognitions for her work and has held several roles. She is the Chair of the UN-HABITAT Advisory Board on Global Research Network on Human Settlements (HS-Net), Vice Chair, Kenya African Peer Review Mechanism.
22. Faith Jeruto
Faith Jeruto is an environmental youth ambassador celebrated for her remarkable contribution to environmental conservation, particularly for her role in inspiring and mobilising young people to take action against climate change. Passionate about safeguarding the planet for future generations, she has planted 10,000 tree seedlings between 2023 and 2024.
She’s a member of the Nations Oceans Decade of Ocean Science, helping the world understand better the Oceans System and Climate change and also the Global Diplomatic Forum for Youth.
She’s trained and appointed the world’s youngest Inspector of Intercontinental Counter Terrorism Police Organisation, Delaware, USA and named Environmental Youth Ambassador by the International College of Peace Studies. She has engaged government officials and diplomats in her passion for environmental health programs.
Her advocacy for a clean and green environment has earned her the National Hero Award in the Environmental Conservation category.
23. Ruth Wanjiru Wachera
Ruth Wanjiru Wachera is the Centre Manager at Embu Huduma Centre and a true champion of environmental conservation. In line with the Huduma Kenya Programme’s ‘Adopt a Forest’ initiative, anchored on the “Four Pillars”, she’s at the forefront in implementing the Presidential Directive on the National Tree Growing and Restoration Campaign of 15 billion trees by 2032.
Through her innovative project, Ruth collects and recycles used milk packets, turning what would otherwise be waste into useful seedling containers. This creative approach not only helps in effective waste management but also promotes the principles of recycling and environmental responsibility.
She has received prestigious accolades, including the Ombudsman Award (2023) and the Shujaa Environment Conservation Award (2024), which underscore her significant contributions to environmental stewardship and social equity.
Ruth has been recognised as a National Hero under the Environmental Conservation Category for her outstanding work in embracing the Circular Economy in tree growing. Ruth’s work is a shining example of how grassroots innovation can address multiple challenges.
24. Anne Nyaga
Anne Nyaga is a Kenyan agricultural entrepreneur and policymaker making significant contributions to climate-resilient agriculture, such as advocating for climate-resilient livestock farming practices, empowering women to adopt sustainable methods, leading tree-planting initiatives under the Green Cities Initiative and also promoting sustainable agricultural practices.
She served as the Chief Administrative Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries, and Cooperatives, where she promoted sustainable agricultural practices and climate-smart initiatives. She has also spearheaded the revival of 4-K Clubs to educate youth on agriculture, environmental conservation, and climate change mitigation.
She has received recognition for her work, including being named one of the Top 40 Under 40 by Business Daily in 2021, featured on March 2014 by Eve Magazine. She also received an International Women’s Day Honor as an influencer of attitude change towards agriculture, and transforming the image of agriculture as a mentor for women and youth who are seeking to venture into agribusiness in Africa. Ann was also recognized in the African Green Revolution Forum 2014 as the Africa Youth Representative on Youth in Agriculture.
25. Lillian Letiwa
Lillian has demonstrated dedication in the field of environmental conservation and sustainability. She has participated in tree-planting programs aimed at restoring degraded landscapes, improving soil stability, enhancing biodiversity, and supporting local ecosystems. Letiwa has inspired other communities to play an active role in environmental stewardship.
In conclusion, the contributions of Kenyan women in climate action are invaluable. Their dedication, expertise and passion serve as a beacon of hope for a greener future. Their leadership, innovation and resilience are a powerful reminder of the impact that can be made when women are empowered to take action.
