Kevin Wekesa Rugby Sevens Star Calls Out Climate Injustices 2026

Kenyan rugby sevens star Kevin Wekesa is using his platform to highlight a pressing global issue: climate injustice. While many high-profile climate advocates come from North America and Europe, Wekesa argues that the conversation must include voices from nations already suffering the worst effects. “For us this is a very relevant conversation,” he says, pointing to rising heat, cracked pitches, and changing weather patterns that directly impact young athletes in Kenya.

The Reality of Climate Change on Kenyan Sports

A year before competing in his first Olympic Games at Paris 2024, Wekesa responded to Kenya’s relegation from the top tier of international sevens by offering free rugby coaching in schools. During a visit to a school in Kirinyaga, on the slopes of Mount Kenya, he found an unplayable dry field and was forced to cancel the session. One student told him conditions had been similar for two months, while another suggested the unfamiliar weather was due to climate change.

“I thought to myself, if it’s already affecting this level of sport, what about at the highest level?” Wekesa recalls. That moment sparked the creation of Play Green, an organization that connects sport with climate action. In 2025, he won an IOC Climate Action Award for his work, which includes leading the Kenyan men’s and women’s national sevens teams to use reusable water bottles, saving approximately 1,000 plastic bottles every week.

Play Green: A Community-Driven Climate Initiative

Wekesa’s efforts go beyond the national team. He hopes to ban single-use plastic in Kenyan rugby clubs and tournaments. “If I can eliminate plastic directly from all the clubs in Kenya, it can eventually grow organically to other sports in the country,” he explains. In April, he met Inger Andersen, executive director of the United Nations Environment Programme, to discuss reducing single-use plastic at the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) in 2027, which Kenya will host alongside Uganda and Tanzania.

Play Green also focuses on climate change education in Kenyan schools. “We work with children because they are inheriting the climate crisis, not because they are causing it,” Wekesa says. He highlights a stark disparity: “Kenyan children have a very small carbon footprint compared to children growing up in high-carbon economies like northern Europe, yet they are often more exposed to the consequences: drought, floods, heat, water shortages, food insecurity, illness and missed school. I am not blaming European children but I must highlight climate injustices.”

Empowering the Next Generation

Play Green does not treat children as victims. Instead, it empowers them as active participants in protecting their environment. “For me, climate action is practical, visible, and rooted in community, just like rugby. It takes a community to tackle climate action; it is not about pointing fingers,” Wekesa explains. Through climate talks and rugby sessions, students learn small actions that reduce impacts, such as conserving water.

Wekesa’s approach mirrors the teamwork inherent in rugby. He believes that collective effort is the only way to address the climate crisis. His work has already inspired measurable change, from reducing plastic waste to educating thousands of children about sustainability.

The Broader Context of Climate Justice

According to the United Nations, Africa contributes only about 4% of global greenhouse gas emissions but suffers disproportionately from climate impacts, including extreme weather and food insecurity. Wekesa’s story is a powerful example of how athletes from the Global South are stepping up as advocates. As he told The Guardian, “Most well-known people who talk about climate change are in North America and Europe, but for us this is a very relevant conversation.”

His message is clear: climate action must be inclusive. By combining sport with education, Wekesa is building a model that other nations can follow. The IOC Climate Action Award recognizes this innovation, and his meeting with UNEP signals growing institutional support.

Key Achievements of Kevin Wekesa and Play Green

• Saved 1,000 plastic bottles per week through reusable water bottles for national teams.
• Won the 2025 IOC Climate Action Award for linking sport with climate advocacy.
• Engaged children in schools with practical climate education and rugby.
• Advocated for plastic bans at Kenyan rugby clubs and Afcon 2027.

FAQ: Climate Justice and Rugby

What is climate injustice?

Climate injustice refers to the unequal burden of climate change impacts on vulnerable communities, especially in developing nations, which contribute the least to global emissions. Kevin Wekesa highlights this by noting that Kenyan children have a small carbon footprint but face severe consequences like drought and floods.

How is Play Green making a difference?

Play Green reduces plastic waste in Kenyan rugby, educates schoolchildren on climate action, and advocates for policy changes like banning single-use plastics in sports clubs. The organization has already saved thousands of plastic bottles and won international recognition.

Why are athletes important for climate advocacy?

Athletes have a powerful platform to reach wide audiences. Wekesa uses his status as a rugby sevens star to draw attention to climate issues in Africa, showing that sport can drive community-based environmental action and inspire policy changes.