Kabarak University joined regional leaders, scholars, and practitioners in Nairobi for the opening of the African States Sensitization Conference on the ICJ Advisory Opinion on Climate Change, held at the ICRAF Campus from 21–23 April 2026 in a hybrid format (in-person and online).

The conference is hosted by the Center for International Forestry Research and World Agroforestry (CIFOR-ICRAF) and brings together policymakers, legal experts, scientists, and practitioners from across East Africa and the Horn of Africa to examine what the 2025 Advisory Opinion of the International Court of Justice means for African countries in practical terms.

A major highlight of the opening ceremony was the address by our Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Henry Kiplangat, delivered in absentia by Prof. John Ochola, Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Academic and Research. The message was clear: African universities must lead from the front, not only as centres of teaching, but as producers of knowledge that shapes policy and guides societies toward climate justice.

Day One set the tone for conversations focused on how international climate law can move from principle to practice within African contexts. Discussions explored how the Advisory Opinion can inform policy direction, climate justice efforts, litigation pathways, climate finance, and the institutional systems required for effective implementation.

Kabarak University is proud to be among the conference partners through Kabarak University Press, supporting this important continental dialogue at the intersection of law, research, and climate action.

Deliberations continue over the next two days, focusing on how legal obligations affirmed at the global level can translate into meaningful action where it matters most across Africa.