On September 20th 2025, Nairobi wasn’t just another saturday, the streets were alive ,loud, and bold…unapoligetically bold. Hundreds of young people, activists, artists, faith leaders, and community members came together under one banner DRAW THE LINE. 

Drums were loud and echoed through the streets. Chants from all directions were loud and clear, banners proudly displayed for the country to see, and the art was just beautiful, with a clear message of how climate in action can affect us. It’s interesting how colour and imagination can speak to so many, so loudly without a single word or sound.

But here’s the thing most people didn’t see’

Let me break it down for you.

This didn’t just “happen”. It took months of planning, mobilising, and weekly group calls and daily chats that sometimes went past midnight, to make sure everything would come together, not in a perfect way, but close to perfect. The goal was and is still clear…. To be heard. 

We planned logistics, safety , the art, the chants, the placards, who would speak. We focused on the tiny details. And worried about how the weather would be that day, or what if the turn out isn’t as we expected, because honestly no one knew how big it would get.

Then the day finally came.

The tension was real, you could feel it in the air, it was a mixture of fear and excitement. But as people started showing up as groups and solo, that nervous energy turned into something amazing, that feeling one gets when they know something amazing is happening and I’m going to be a part of it. The meeting point filled faster than we expected. 

Eventually we spilled into the streets, kids in school uniforms, drums,banners raised high, the crowd alive with chants “what do we want, climate justice, when do we want it NOW”, and vibes, dance , songs, it was all there.

And just like that, all the behind the scenes work made sense…i wouldn’t say it was trust the process type of moment, it was more of le’s give it our all, and let it all play out, and expect the best of it, deep down we knew it would be exactly how we expect it to be.

Social media was filled with photos and videos from the march. Nairobi was one of the loud voices in a global movement of over 600 actions across 85+ countries. 

But beneath the energy and color, the message was serious. Kenya’s youth weren’t just marching for the vibes, we were marching to be heard, for our future and for us. Climate change isn’t a “ maybe someday” thing here. It’s NOW. floods have destroyed so much here, droughts have left families hungry. And conflict has risen over scarce resources in some areas.

So yeah when we say we are fighting for our future we mean it literally.

We demanded No more fossil fuels. No more fake promises. And No more so-called “solutions” that put profit over people. We called for a just transition to renewable energy, one that creates jobs, lights homes,and protects communities without killing the planet.  We spoke loud and clear that we didn’t want our forests touched. We demanded fair climate finance and debt relief for African nations so we can invest in real resilience.

And then, when the chants faded, the banners came down, the speeches ended, something cool and fun happened… we danced…that is one way to finish a march .

We danced, because demanding change doesn’t have to be boring or grim. It can be powerful and joyful. We ended the march vibing to music, singing, laughing and celebrating the fact that hope itself is an act of rebellion. The joy in that moment said it all…that fighting for the planet and our future doesn’t mean rejecting life’s colors, it means finding ways to live in harmony with them, balancing with the world not against it.

The energy that day was unmatched. Young people spoke like the future depends on it….it does. Every word, every beat of the drum, every step of the march carried the truth.

And now that the campaign has wrapped, we are left asking what’s next? 

The campaign wasn’t the end, it is the beginning of a louder , stronger chapter, we want leaders on kenya and across the world to move beyond the speeches and make real change.

Renewable energy projects that actually help communities. Climate finance that reaches the grassroots. Policies that actually protect instead of exploiting them. Spaces where young people don’t have to just attend but help decide.

The DRAW THE LINE campaign showed us what happens when people come together , across borders, across struggles, across differences. The next step is to keep that fire burning through local organizing, story telling, community action, and global solidarity.

Because Nairobi reminded the world of one simple truth. We don’t wait for change, we create it.

The line has been drawn. And we are not stopping anytime soon.

Written By: Aqlila Alwy

Rise Up Movement/ Fridays For Future Kenya