website: kaburo kobia
Wednesday, 22 October 2025
Empowering Faith Actors to Strengthen Climate Resilience in Kenya
Empowering Faith Actors to Strengthen Climate Resilience in Kenya
In person attendance: 1:30pm - 5:30 pm
Online: 2pm - 5pm
SPEAKERS
Venue: University of Nairobi, Chandaria Hall + Online
Ms. Mariam Abdirashid
Mariam Abdirashid is a social worker and community leader from Isiolo, Kenya. She is the founder of Roots of Hope, a community-based organization that empowers young girls and women through climate action, sustainable agriculture, and environmental conservation. A passionate Anti-FGM champion, she advocates for the rights and well-being of girls and women. Her work focuses on creating safer, more sustainable, and inclusive communities across northern Kenya.
Ms. Grace Ojiayo
Ms. Grace Ojiayo serves as the Special Technical Assistant to the Minister for Mobility and Works at the Nairobi City County Government and is the Assistant Director for Climate Change and Air Quality. With a background in environmental science and sustainable urban design, she leads initiatives advancing clean air, climate resilience, and green mobility in Nairobi. Grace holds a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science from Egerton University and is pursuing a Master’s in Environmental Design and Architecture at Kenyatta University.
Mr Fredrick Ouma
Fredrick Ouma is a climate governance and natural resource management expert with over a decade of experience shaping Kenya’s and Africa’s engagement in global climate policy. He currently serves as a Project Manager at the Ministry of Environment, Climate Change and Forestry and as a Climate Change Negotiator with the African Group of Negotiators. His work focuses on strengthening policy implementation, enhancing climate finance access, and translating negotiated commitments into local action for community resilience.
Wednesday, 22 October 2025
Venue: University of Nairobi, Chandaria Hall + Online
Ms. Athena Peralta
Ms. Athena Peralta is the Director of the Commission on Climate Justice and Sustainable Development, Living Planet – Economic and Ecological Justice at the World Council of Churches (WCC). Her work focuses on the intersections of economic, ecological, and gender justice, promoting just and sustainable systems that uphold the integrity of people and the planet. She previously served as Programme Executive for Economic and Ecological Justice at WCC and as a Senior Economic Development Specialist with the Philippines’ National Economic and Development Authority.
Dr Alan Channer
Co-Director, OikoDiplomatique
Rev.Jane Jilani
Rev. Jane Jilani serves as the Regional Chair for the Coast at PeaceNet Kenya, where she leads initiatives that promote peacebuilding, social cohesion in coastal communities. She is the co-founder of the Coast Interfaith Council of Clerics (CICC), a network uniting religious leaders to address social issues and advance community-led mangrove conservation. Through partnerships with Minda Trust and Eleka Trust, she supports interfaith workshops and youth trainings that strengthen cooperation and integrate faith perspectives into climate resilience initiatives.
Dr. Dennis Garrity
Dr. Dennis Garrity is a systems agronomist and research leader whose career has focused on transforming small-scale farming systems in the tropics. He currently is the founder of the Global EverGreening Alliance, a global partnership working to restore degraded lands and improve the livelihoods of millions of smallholder farmers. A former Director General of the World Agroforestry Centre (2001–2011) and Drylands Ambassador for the UN Convention to Combat Desertification, he has been a leading advocate for agroforestry, evergreen agriculture, and landcare as pathways to sustainable land management and climate resilience.
Nkatha Kobia
Co-Director, OikoDiplomatique
Rev. Dr. Samuel Kobia
Rev. Dr. Samuel Kobia is the Chairman, National Cohesion and Integration Commission. Previously, he served as Senior Advisor on Cohesion, Peace and Conflict Resolution in the Executive Office of the President and Cabinet Affairs. Dr. Kobia served as a Commissioner in the Judicial Service Commission which recruits Kenyan judges, and oversights the Judiciary; 2010-2012 Ecumenical Special Envoy for Sudan’s; 2007-2018 Chancellor of St. Paul’s University; former General Secretary of the World Council of Churches and founder, OikoDiplomatique..
Dr Martin Frick
Dr. Martin Frick is the Director of the World Food Programme (WFP) Global Office for Germany, Austria and Liechtenstein. He previously served as the UN Secretary-General’s Deputy Special Envoy for the Food Systems Summit 2021 and as Senior Director at the UNFCCC Secretariat, where he supported the implementation of the Paris Climate Agreement. A former Climate Chief at FAO and Programme Director at Kofi Annan’s Global Humanitarian Forum, he has been a leading advocate for climate justice and smallholder agriculture. Dr. Frick holds a doctorate in law and political science and is a member of the Club of Rome.
A Pre-COP30 Dialogue
As the world prepares for COP30 in Belém, Brazil—the “delivery COP”—global attention is turning to advancing adaptation, resilience, and just transitions rooted in climate justice, human rights, and gender equality. In anticipation, OikoDiplomatique, in partnership with the University of Nairobi, is hosting a hybrid pre-COP dialogue bringing together faith leaders, COP delegates, academics, and community representatives.
The dialogue will highlight how faith actors can help strengthen climate resilience in Kenya through restoration, advocacy, and community engagement, fostering collaboration between faith communities and the wider climate action movement.
Brother Rodrigo Péret
Brother Rodrigo Péret, OFM is a Franciscan Brother from the Custody of the Sacred Heart in Uberlândia, Brazil, dedicated to land rights, environmental justice, and human rights advocacy. A civil engineer by training, he works with communities affected by mining and agrarian conflicts, promoting accountability in the extractive industry. Guided by Franciscan values, his ministry integrates faith, social justice, and care for creation, and through the Franciscans at the UN initiative, he advances advocacy for ecological justice and the protection of human and environmental defenders.