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Paper short abstract

The paper examines the Northern Kenya Rangeland Carbon Project (NKRCP) in Northern Kenya. Applying the concept institutional bricolage, the article explain how carbon scheme in Kenya reflects a neo-colonial attributes rather than the intended benefit to the indigneous communities.

Paper long abstract

This paper examines the contentious role of carbon offset in Northern Kenya, and the Northern Kenya Rangeland Carbon Project (NKRCP) operated by the Northern Rangeland Trust (NRT), a non-governmental organisation helping to manage 43 community-based conservancies (CBCs) in Northern and coastal Kenya. While proponents argue that carbon offset offers a framework for climate finance, facilitating a transition to green economies, critics raise concerns about the potential for neo-colonization and exacerbation of environmental injustices in Africa. Employing the concept of institutional bricolage, this study explores how implementing carbon offset projects intersects with local natural resource management practices and power dynamics. Through critical institutional analysis, we examine interviews and focus group discussions collected from 7 years of fieldwork experience on CBCs in Samburu and Isiolo Counties in Kenya and triangulate it with organisation reports and academic literature. We shed light on the complexities surrounding Northern Kenya's carbon offset schemes and call for a more nuanced understanding of their impact on pastoralist livelihoods and environmental sustainability.