Who’s in the driving seat? The interplay between advocacy organisations and local communities resisting coal mining in rural Kenya

Abstract

Community struggles around land and extractives are generally analysed in terms of popular social movements; yet in practice, not all areas are equally susceptible to mass mobilisation. In regions without much exposure to advocacy, resistance may be instigated or amplified by professional outsiders. This article describes a case study in a rural area of Kenya without a notable history of popular protest. In response to a planned coal mining project, civil society organisations (CSOs) entered to mobilise local opposition. Citing risks of displacement, environmental damage and community disruption, activists informed local inhabitants of their rights, encouraged them to resist, and linked them up with transnational platforms. While the involvement of professional activists strengthens the community’s position towards the authorities and companies involved, it also presents a number of risks. CSOs enter the field with different approaches and sometimes conflicting messages, which can increase community divisions. As CSOs seek to unify resistance to mining, moreover, they sometimes steer community interests in the direction of fruitful campaigning, rather than centring campaigns around community priorities. This article sheds light on the sometimes contentious interactions between local and (trans)national levels when activists seek to influence power holders in the context of imminent mining-induced displacement.