The Olobis family, part of the Ol Donyonyokie group ranch in Kenya, is facing pressure from carbon credit developers who want to use their land for carbon offset projects. This would require the family to stop traditional grazing practices and leave the land untouched. The Olobis are skeptical and fear a land grab, citing their long-standing role in protecting the land and wildlife without external help.
Their concerns are heightened by the experience of a nearby community, Ol-keri, where residents say a similar carbon deal brought no benefits and was marred by broken promises and tampered bursary cheques. The company behind that project, Soils for the Future Africa, claims transparency and denies wrongdoing, though internal emails suggest they were aware of community concerns.
Kenya has since introduced a 2024 law mandating stricter oversight of carbon projects, including community consent and benefit-sharing agreements. However, communities like Ol-keri, which signed deals before the law, remain in a legal grey area. In Ol Donyonyokie, residents feel abandoned and question who truly benefits from the monetization of their land.
(This video summary was created using AI. A journalist edited it before publication.)
