For years, Caroline Oduory watched development and conservation projects come and go in Kwa Punda village in Jomvu on Kenya's Coast.
Meetings were held, officials spoke and decisions were made, but ordinary residents rarely had a say on issues affecting the land and natural resources they depended on.
"Many projects have come to our area before, but they never reached the people on the ground. You would hear that stakeholders had met, but ordinary community members were rarely involved," Caroline recalls.
Community engagement, she says, often revolved around a few leaders, leaving many residents disconnected from decisions that directly affected their livelihoods.
Today, she believes that is changing.
Through the Together for People and Planet (ToPP) programme, implemented by the Economic and Social Rights Centre (Hakijamii) in partnership with WWF-Kenya, communities are being involved in environmental governance from the outset.
"This project is different because there is inclusivity. Everyone is involved. Before, only a few people participated. Now the whole community takes part," she says.
Caroline's experience reflects that of many Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IPLCs) across Kenya, who, despite living closest to forests, rivers, rangelands and coastal ecosystems, have often had little influence over decisions affecting their resources.
Consultations by Hakijamii and WWF-Kenya found persistent concerns over insecure land tenure, exclusion from governance structures, weak public participation and limited benefits from conservation initiatives, despite constitutional protections for marginalised communities.
The Together for People and Planet programme seeks to change that.
Supported by the World-Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and funded by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida), the initiative promotes rights-based biodiversity conservation and climate action by ensuring communities become active partners rather than passive beneficiaries.
According to Ijait Aluku, Programme Officer for Land, Housing and Strategic Litigation at Hakijamii, the programme recognises Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities as custodians of natural resources whose voices should guide conservation efforts.
Rather than consulting communities after projects have already been designed, the programme encourages continuous engagement between residents, government institutions and civil society throughout planning, implementation and monitoring.
It also strengthens community leadership, supports policy engagement, promotes accountability and facilitates dialogue between rights holders and duty bearers.
For Aluku, the initiative addresses the disconnect between Kenya's progressive legal framework and the realities faced by marginalised communities.
"There are still many injustices, especially around the protection of marginalised communities' economic, social and cultural rights. We also see a lack of synergy between different laws, policies and government institutions, creating gaps where injustices persist despite having a strong legal framework," he says.
The programme also promotes Indigenous knowledge as a vital component of conservation. Coastal communities possess generations of knowledge on mangrove restoration and marine ecosystems, while pastoralist and forest communities have long practised sustainable resource management.
"Environmental governance cannot be effective if the people who live closest to natural resources are left out of the conversation. Our objective is to strengthen structured engagement between duty bearers, Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities so that environmental governance becomes more inclusive, accountable and responsive," Aluku says.
For Caroline, the change is already visible.
Residents are now encouraged to attend meetings, ask questions and contribute ideas before decisions are made. She believes communities are more willing to support conservation when they are genuinely heard.
Legal expert Jairus Ondiege Otieno says meaningful public participation is essential if Kenya is to turn constitutional guarantees into reality.
"Our legal framework is very progressive and robust. The problem lies in implementation and enforcement. The challenge is ensuring that marginalised communities' constitutional rights are respected, implemented and enjoyed in everyday life," he says.
As Kenya grapples with climate change, biodiversity loss and growing pressure on natural resources, the Together for People and Planet programme is demonstrating a more inclusive approach to conservation, one that places communities at the centre of environmental governance.
For Caroline, the transformation is simple.
People who once watched decisions being made from the sidelines are now helping shape them, proving that conservation is strongest when the people who live closest to nature have a voice in protecting it.
