Enhancing Community-led Climate Actions in Kenya Through Effective Vernacular Radio Communication Strategies: a Case Study of Wote Town in Makueni County

Abstract

Community-led climate actions as an approach in addressing climate change issues has been used by community radios and vernacular radio stations to reach a specific community. Therefore, local communities continue to rely on Vernacular radio stations for information, education and entertainment hence through these community-led climate actions can be supported. Makueni County is grappling with severe environmental deterioration due to the impacts of population growth, pollution, soil erosion, charcoal production, logging, extended periods of drought, and forest fires. The purpose of this study was to determine the role of vernacular radio stations in addressing climate change issues in Wote Town in Makueni County. The specific objectives were to identify ways in which media can help strengthen community-led climate actions, assess the effectiveness of media as a tool to influence climate actions at the community level and examine ways to improve the effectiveness of existing approaches in media to support community-led climate actions. The study used a descriptive survey research design. The target population was 102 respondents, which included 20 community-led climate action members and 50 local residents who are not directly engaged in climate action projects. Additionally, 9 NGO officers working on climate action projects, 8 vernacular radio journalists, and 14 Climate action champions were recruited in the study. Key informant interviews (KII) and focus group discussions (FGD) were used to gather qualitative data. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze the quantitative data, which was then shown as graphs, pie charts, texts, and frequency tables. Themes and sub-themes were identified from the qualitative data, and context analysis was used to analyze them. The study concluded that by sharing information about these initiatives' successes and encouraging cooperation and partnerships at the local level, vernacular radio stations significantly contribute to enhancing their effect. When asked if community-led climate actions in Makueni County were effective, 93% of the respondents agreed while 7% disagreed. The results show that Media outlets provide platforms for public discourse and debate on climate issues. The study indicated that 48.8% of the respondents proposed youth engagement as a strategy for supporting climate actions. Further, 37.2% of the respondents proposed climate action contests, another 37.2% suggested partnerships with educational institutions, while 29.1% proposed the use of caravans in collaboration with local artists strategies to support climate actions. This study recommends vernacular radio stations to tailor media efforts to local demographics and specific needs and leverage on technology for effective Communication to bridge the gap between scientific climate data and local communities, empowering residents to make informed decisions and take meaningful steps in response to climate change