Report on conducted activities in 2025

Overview of activities:

• A joint research proposal focusing on how international, national and local norms concerning pesticides affect health in Eastern African countries, including Kenya, was worked out in cooperation between the UiO NORHED II programme AnthEM and the expertise in environmental law in the NORHED II programme WCNREG linking UiO and the University of Nairobi. The project, submitted to the Norwegian Life Science project, did not receive funding but received a very good evaluation.

   

• Graduation of cohort 1 of WCNREG master students

  The WCNREG master students passed the examination of Year 2 Courses. They submitted and defended their dissertations that linked fieldwork observations to international and national law on topic regarding women, children and nature rights in environmental governance. This was a milestone in the WCNREG’s aim of enhancing both staff and students’ capacity to conduct evidence-based research in environmental governance. As such, the program constitutes a significant contribution to changing how law is taught. (see Cohort 1 Students Master Dissertations, Project Papers)

  

• Graduation of one PhD fellow

  

  PhD Fellow Kamotho Waiganjo from the WCNREG defended his doctoral thesis "FROM THE SHADOWS TO THE MAINSTREAM: IMPLICATIONS OF INFORMAL INTERGOVERNMENTAL RELATIONS IN KENYA’S WATER SECTOR"

• Presentation of master research for the UNEP office in Nairobi

  

  Engagement with stakeholders – the WCNREG Cohort 1candidates presented their research findings to the UNEP community to inform their programmes. The meeting was part of the cooperation agreement between the Faculty of Law (UoN) and the UNEP office in Nairobi. The agreement was initiated by Dr. Patricia Kameri-Mbote a former professor at UoN and one of the founders of the WCNREG program.

• Scholarships awarded to 36 Cohort 2 WCNREG master students

  The Cohort Two candidates were admitted in September 2025. They attended the obligatory online courses in Environmental Governance, Women’s Rights in Environmental Governance and Nature’s Rights in Environmental Governance and Research Methodology.

• Visit by WCNREG research coordinator Dr. Nkatah Kabira at UiO

  

  (Photo Apollon)

  The WCNREG research coordinator attended the 50 year anniversary of women’s law at UiO. She gave a key note lecture “Climate change as a women’s rights issue: Lessons from the Women, Children and Nature Rights in Environmental Governance Project (WCNREG)”. She gave an interview on the program to Apollon published in forskningsnytt. During her visit she met with leadership at the Department of Public and International Law and the Norwegian Center of Human Rights to discuss continued cooperation under the NORHED III program.

• Meeting between the Norwegian Embassy and WCNREG staff in Nairobi

  To discuss areas of cooperation at meeting between the Norwegian Embassy Nairobi and WCNREG staff at the Faculty of Law, University of Nairobi took place 21 March 09.00 – 12-00 at the Faculty of Law, University of Nairobi.  Minutes of the meeting  FOL Hosts Norwegian Embassy for Key Talks | FACULTY OF LAW

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• Milestone in the WCNREG student research program

  All the master students carried out  fieldwork as part of their dissertation. To discuss their research findings students lecturer and supervisors met face to face. The Kenya student dissertation seminar took place at the Faculty of Law in Nairobi. The seminar for the Zimbabwean master student took place at the Southern and Eastern Regional Center in Women’s law at the University of the Zimbabwe. The seminar for the Malawian students took place at the Faculty of Law, at Chancellors College in Zomba. Program

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• Professor Julie Stewart, who attended all the seminars, issued a report on the progress of teaching students how to carry out empirical research that explores how international and national laws and policies are translated into practice. Report

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• WCNREG Malawi country coordinator awarded research scholarship on social equity and climate change

  Ngcimezile Mweso, a researcher at the University of Malawi, has been awarded the prestigious 2024 Ramboll Foundation Award for her work on environmental justice. The annual Ramboll Foundation Award provides DKK 500,000 (approx. EUR/USD 67,000) to support emerging scientists in advancing innovative research. Mweso’s grant will enable her to explore integrating social equity into climate action by analysing how forest-based carbon sequestration projects affect women, a group disproportionately impacted by climate change.

• Scholarships for the WCNREG master program 2025- 2026 Advertisement of Scholarships for the WCNREG master program for 2025 and 2026 https://uonbi.ac.ke/node/4750