Kenyan rugby sevens star Kevin Wekesa has been recognised with a 2025 IOC Climate Action Award for his work with Play Green, an organisation he founded to connect sport with climate action. Wekesa, who competed at the Paris 2024 Olympics, said the award highlights the climate injustices faced by African communities, who contribute least to carbon emissions but suffer the most from their effects.
Play Green was inspired by an experience in 2023, when Wekesa travelled to a school in Kirinyaga to offer free rugby coaching. The pitch was unplayable due to drought, and students told him the conditions were linked to climate change. “I thought to myself, if it’s already affecting this level of sport, what about at the highest level?” he said.
The organisation has led the Kenyan men’s and women’s national sevens teams to use reusable water bottles, saving approximately 1,000 plastic bottles every week. Wekesa is now pushing for a ban on single-use plastic in Kenyan rugby clubs and tournaments. In April, he met Inger Andersen, executive director of the United Nations Environment Programme, to discuss reducing plastic at the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations, which Kenya will co-host.
Play Green also focuses on climate education and tree planting in schools. Wekesa said: “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. I am not blaming European children but I must highlight climate injustices.” The organisation primarily plants fruit trees to provide nourishment, as many children are too hungry to play rugby after school.
To date, Play Green has held workshops in over 40 Kenyan schools and planted more than 6,200 trees. Wekesa, who is 25, is currently visiting 10 schools throughout May to teach rugby, distribute pre-used balls and plant fruit trees. Some students who attended early workshops have introduced Play Green initiatives to new schools as they progress through their education.
