Global changemakers: 2 Kenyans among Time100 Most Influential Climate Leaders of 2025

Two Kenyans have made it to the prestigious TIME’s 100 Most Influential Climate Leaders of 2025, placing the country on the map as the hub of reputable champions of climate change with influential young voices in the global fight against climate change.

The duo was part of the 100 identified in a rigorous process that assessed their measurable, scalable achievements in the recent past with Time noting that they “represent the power of individuals to make significant progress in influencing the climate economy”.

From groundbreaking innovation to driving community-led solutions the list featured prominent icons leaving their mark and remaining steadfast amid shrinking funding and rising global outcry for climate justice and record-breaking calamities associated with the same.

Here are the two Kenyans who made it to the list of changemakers and their initiatives.

Elizabeth Wathuti: Driving community action across generations

Renowned Kenyan environmentalist and climate activist Elizabeth Wathuti made it to the list of those driving action for communities.

Wathuti founded Green Generation Initiative (GGI), an organization that nurtures young environmentalists by promoting tree planting and environmental education across schools and communities in Kenya.

Time100 recognised her efforts under the “Defenders Category” noting that Wathuti has been in the frontline driving action for communities through GGI which is one of the fastest-growing youth-led organisations in the continent addressing climate change.

Wathuti is also nurturing the next generation of climate activists through Africa’s Next Green Leaders Accelerator (ANGLE) programme.

Her impactful leadership, activism in climate change and environmental commitment have earned her numerous awards and international recognitions including the Wangari Maathai Scholarship Award and the Young Champions of the Earth Award (2019) from the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).

She has also been honoured in prestigious global lists such as the BBC 100 Women and TIME 100 Next, solidifying her role as one of the most influential young voices in the global fight against climate change.

Charlot Magayi's innovative solutions to tackle climate change

Charlot Magayi is among global innovators behind new solutions to tackle climate change and provide durable solutions.

She turned a personal experience of a traditional cooking stove leaving her toddler with severe burns into a wake-up call and a lifelong commitment to tackling climate change with innovative solutions.

She founded Mukuru Clean Stoves in 2017 and reinvented the stove to minimize pollution while still serving the purpose with reduced risk, enhanced efficiency and reasonable cost.

Magayi revolutionised how families cook and reduced air pollution through her ground-breaking innovation that which not only uses less fuel but also cut household air pollution by 90% compared to open fire. Mukuru Clean Stoves has so far reached more than 600,000 households with a significant reduction in air pollution by an estimated 930,000 metric tons of CO₂.

2024 saw her expand her impact with new mosquito-repelling cooking fuels which not only address climate change, but also address malaria transmission.

Her climate-innovation leadership has seen her win several awards including Waislitz Global Citizen Award (2019) in recognition of her work promoting clean cookstoves in Kenya. She was also one of the five winners of the Earthshot Prize (in the “Clean Our Air” category) in 2022 and received a £1 million grant to scale her enterprise.

She has also been honoured by reputable organisations such as Forbes Woman Africa which listed her among the top social-impact women in the continent.