Youths for Green Action Kenya (YGAK) and Kaimosi Friends University (KAFU) is set to ink a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aimed at strengthening campus based climate action with students emerging as key drivers of sustainability and environmental leadership.
Last week, YGAK engaged KAFU students and university administrators in a forum aimed at exploring strategic green partnerships and practical approaches to climate action within institutions of higher learning.
The engagement marked a critical step toward the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that will formalize collaboration on sustainability initiatives.
Speaking during the session, YGAK Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer Dennis Asiya emphasized the central role Universities play in shaping climate-conscious leadership.
“Universities are powerful spaces for shaping climate-conscious leadership. When students are given room to lead, sustainability stops being theory and becomes action,” Asiya stated.
Further, Asiya revealed that the discussions went beyond dialogue focusing on a proposed joint sustainability project that would place students at the forefront of hands-on climate action.
“Areas of interest included campus-based environmental initiatives, student-led conservation projects, sustainability education and youth capacity building,” he said.
According to Asiya, the envisioned partnership seeks to bridge the gap between environmental awareness and tangible impact by equipping young people with practical skills and leadership tools.
“Our goal is to ensure that young people do not only understand climate issues but are also empowered to design and implement solutions within their own institutions and communities,” he noted.
To guide this collaboration, YGAK and KAFU are currently developing a Memorandum of Understanding that will define areas of cooperation, roles and responsibilities and mechanisms for long-term engagement.
“The MoU is expected to be finalized in the coming weeks paving the way for pilot sustainability projects on campus,” he said.
University administrators present during the engagement expressed commitment to supporting student-led sustainability initiatives that align with climate resilience and environmental stewardship.
Asiya affirms that the proposed partnership aligns with Kenya’s broader climate action and environmental sustainability agenda which increasingly recognizes the role of youth and institutions of higher learning in driving locally grounded solutions to environmental challenges.
“Once formalized, the YGAK–KAFU collaboration is expected to serve as a model for integrating sustainability into student life, research and community engagement while strengthening green partnerships across universities in the country,” he noted.
However, Asiya reported that with critical support from their patron, Dr. Sassan Khatib Shahidi, the organization has realized remarkable achievements over the past few years.
In 2022, Youths for Green Action Kenya launched the Greening Schools Initiative planting over 10,000 trees across schools in Kakamega County.
He noted that the momentum continued in 2023, where 100,000 trees were planted through the involvement of more than 200 student volunteers from various higher learning institutions.
“That year, the organization was also allocated Block No. 23 in Mau Forest Complex, a vast expanse covering 110 acres of previously deforested land, which they successfully reclaimed and restored,” he affirmed.
The year 2024 marked another high point, with 155,000 trees planted in Mt. Elgon Forest in collaboration with Kaberwa Forest Station.
“This massive undertaking spanned designated blocks including Chepkungur, 2K, 2L, Mtoni Mbili, and Bosnia,” he said.
Asiya said that in 2025, aligned with the World Environment Day celebrations, the organization embarked on rehabilitating Kipkabus Forest in Elgeyo Marakwet County with an additional 100,000 trees.
