For decades, my members— both men and women in the Kenya’s petroleum and gas sector—have been the invisible engine of our economy. We are the tanker drivers braving treacherous roads, the engineers in the refinery, the attendants at your local fuel station, the riders who deliver gas at your doorstep and the technicians ensuring energy flows to homes and industries. We are the frontline communities of this industry, and we have built our lives, educated our children, and sustained our families on this work.
Now, we are told the world must turn the leaf. The clarion call for a fossil fuel phase-out, amplified and given legal teeth by COP 30 resolutions is growing louder and more binding. We hear it. We, too, breathe the same air and feel the same sun. We see the changing weather patterns and understand the existential threat. But for us, this is not an abstract policy debate; it is a direct threat to our livelihoods. The global resolution to transition away from fossil fuels, if handled poorly, risks swapping one crisis—climate change—for another: mass unemployment and community collapse.
This is where the concept of a Just Transition becomes more than a slogan; it is the essential tool for achieving true climate justice. Climate justice demands that the burdens of climate action are not disproportionately borne by the most vulnerable. Forcing workers and their dependents into poverty is not justice; it is merely shifting the cost of the global North’s historical emissions onto the backs of Kenyan workers.
A Just Transition, as defined by the International Labour Organization (ILO), is about moving to a sustainable, low-carbon economy in a way that is fair and inclusive, creating decent work opportunities and leaving no one behind. It is not a death sentence for our jobs, but a roadmap for their evolution. It is anchored in the ILO’s Decent Work Agenda, which guarantees rights at work, promotes social protection, and encourages social dialogue. This framework is our shield and our compass.
The cornerstone of this process must be genuine social dialogue. We cannot have a transition planned in boardrooms in Nairobi or conference halls in Europe without the voices of those whose lives are on the line. We reject a transition by decree. The best way to handle this seismic shift is through tripartite dialogue between government, industry, and unions like KPOWU.
We are not simply obstacles to be removed. We are a reservoir of skill, experience, and expertise. The same hands that manage complex logistics for fuel distribution can be retrained to manage green hydrogen or biofuel supply chains. The engineers who maintain pipeline integrity can be upskilled for geothermal or solar projects. Our extensive network of fuel stations could be repurposed as electric vehicle charging hubs or centres for clean energy solutions.
But this will not happen by accident. It requires a deliberate, funded, and negotiated plan. We demand;1. A National Just Transition Strategy, developed with our full participation, that includes comprehensive skills mapping and massive investment in retraining and upskilling programmes tailored to the green economy,2. Social Protection Bridges: No worker should be left in the lurch. We need robust severance packages, pension protections, and income support for those in transition to prevent destitution,3. Investment in New Industries: The government must proactively attract and direct investment to regions that will be affected, creating new, decent jobs in renewable energy, waste management, and sustainable agriculture before the old ones fade away.
Our call to action is clear;
To the Government of Kenya:Stop paying lip service to a Just Transition. Invite us to the table now. Make social dialogue the non-negotiable foundation of your climate policy as you prepare for the mandates of COP 30 and the global fossil fuel phase-out.
To the international community:Climate finance must include direct funding for worker retraining and community reinvestment in countries like Kenya. Do not fund a transition that creates new victims.
To our employers in the fossil sector:Your responsibility does not end with shutting down operations. You must be partners in this transition, funding retraining and contributing to a just outcome for the workforce that built your profits.
And to my fellow workers:Let us not fear this change, but let us shape it. Our wells of labour and skill must not be allowed to run dry. Let us organise, engage, and demand our rightful place in a greener, fairer future.
A transition that leaves workers behind is not a transition at all. It is an injustice. Let us build a future where the fight for the planet and the fight for decent work are one and the same. Our shared future depends on it.
