East Africa in Eugene

Dear friends,

Kenyan attorney Benedette Mutuku and Tanzanian attorney Adolf Runyoro arrived in Eugene on Monday. These ELAW Fellows will work closely with the ELAW team to strengthen their organizations and tap legal and scientific resources.

Recent discoveries of oil in Turkana and minerals on Kenya’s coast are keeping us busy,” says Benedette. “We need equitable sharing of benefits and public participation in decisions about natural resources.”

Benedette is Law and Policy Project Officer at the Institute for Law and Environmental Governance (ILEG), based in Nairobi.

Adolf is Legal Officer at the Lawyers’ Environmental Action Team (LEAT), based in Dar es Salaam. LEAT works to protect the environment, land, and natural resources. Adolf’s current projects include safeguarding Tanzanians from leaded paint and collaborating with colleagues to protect the land rights of Maasai communities threatened by foreign interests seeking land for trophy hunting.

Benedette and Adolf are part of East Africa’s new generation of grassroots defenders. ELAW has worked with ILEG and LEAT for more than 10 years.

Many thanks to the Ford Foundation for making these ELAW Fellowships possible!

Best regards,

Maggie Keenan
Communications Director & Fellows Program Coordinator
Environmental Law Alliance Worldwide