DATE TBC February 2025- Kisumu, Kenya – Kisumu County Governor, Professor Peter Anyang’ Nyong’o, has endorsed the call for a Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty — a proposed international mechanism to facilitate a fair and financed just transition from fossil fuels to an equitable renewable future, reinforcing the county’s climate leadership. Home to Kenya’s third-largest city and an economic hub in the Lake Victoria region, Kisumu county becomes the first Kenyan county and the latest in a growing list of over 130 progressive cities and subnational governments, supporting the global call for a Fossil Fuel Treaty. 

The endorsement follows the launch of Kisumu County’s pioneering “Roadmap towards 100% renewable energy”, an ambitious plan which aligns with Kenya’s 100% renewable energy ambition and global climate commitments. Environmental activists have lauded the county’s climate leadership, emphasizing the urgent need for a people-centred global transition to renewable energy to address escalating climate impacts. The county is now prone to flooding, drought, and rising temperatures, driven disproportionately by continued fossil fuel expansion across the world’s wealthiest nations.

Professor Peter Anyang’ Nyong’o, Governor of Kisumu County, said: "Our local communities here in Kisumu, like others across the country, are on the frontlines of the climate crisis, bearing the heavy burden of a crisis that we did not cause. It’s time for decisive and collective global action to address the climate emergency. That is why Kisumu County is proud to endorse the call for a Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty — to drive international cooperation to accelerate the global shift from fossil fuels, — the root cause of the climate crisis, and advance the realization of an equitable transition that meets the energy needs of our people. We call on our fellow counties to join Kisumu in this collective call for a Fossil Fuel Treaty, and urge our national government to join the growing bloc of nations seeking a negotiating mandate for a Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty. While we strengthen efforts to transition to 100% renewables at local and national levels, the proposed treaty represents the much needed mechanism for developing countries such as ours to secure financial and technical support to ensure a sustainable, renewable-powered future."

Prince Papa, Africa Campaigner for the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty Initiative, said: “We welcome Kisumu County’s visionary leadership in becoming Kenya’s first local government to endorse the proposal for a Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty. Kisumu’s leadership shines light on a powerful pathway for Africa to follow, as the continent endowed with more potential from the sun, wind and water than anywhere else on Earth. The Fossil Fuel Treaty is an essential framework for our continent to move beyond a perverse fossil fuel dependency that has made Sub-Saharan Africa a global energy poverty hotspot, and instead access finance and technology transfers to accelerate energy access, economic diversification, renewable energy sovereignty and alternative development pathways that prioritise the needs of our climate vulnerable communities.”

(INSERT NAME AND TITLE), Kisumu Environmental Champions, said:  "Kisumu’s endorsement of the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty is a testament to the power of local leadership in driving global change. This move reinforces the county’s commitment to protecting our communities across Lake Victoria from the devastating impacts of climate change while paving the way for a safe and liveable future. We look forward to working with the county government and other partners to accelerate the transition to renewable energy, ensuring no one is left behind in the process." 

Kisumu County joins Freetown, Lilongwe, Kolkata, London, Lima, Sydney, and Belém, as well as over 130 local governments across the globe calling for a Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty. The push for a Fossil Fuel Treaty is spearheaded by a bloc of 16 Global South nations - including two fossil fuel producers - from the Pacific, Latin America, the Caribbean and South Asia. The global network behind the proposal is now formed by 3,000+ scientists and academics, 101 Nobel laureates, over 4000 organisations including the World Health Organisation and the European Parliament, hundreds of health professionals, a Vatican Cardinal and thousands of religious institutions, 10 Amazonian Indigenous nations, thousands of youth activists, more than 800 parliamentarians across the world, hundreds of trade unions representing over 30 million workers in more than 150 countries, and more than one million individuals.