Community Perceptions of Indigenous Language Communication in Climate Change Action: Evidence from Machakos County, Kenya

Abstract

Climate change poses severe threats to Kenya's arid and semi-arid lands, yet national climate communication strategies remain predominantly articulated in English and Kiswahili, potentially marginalizing indigenous linguistic communities from meaningful adaptation action. This study examined community perceptions of indigenous language communication in climate change action in Machakos County, Kenya. The study was grounded on Participatory Communication Theory and Cultural Theory of Risk Perception. It adopted a qualitative case study design grounded in an interpretivist paradigm and social constructivist assumptions, focusing on how residents construct meaning around climate communication within Kikamba-speaking contexts. Data were collected over ten weeks through 24 in-depth interviews, six focus group discussions, 10 key informant interviews, participant observation, and field notes. Participants included smallholder farmers, pastoralists, elders, youth, community leaders, extension officers, and non-governmental organization staff. Data were analyzed using inductive thematic analysis supported by NVivo 14. Findings revealed four interrelated themes. First, Kikamba functions as a primary epistemic system for understanding climate phenomena, with rich vocabulary capturing drought phases, rainfall variability, and ecological indicators absent in English or Kiswahili. Second, participants expressed a credibility gap, viewing official climate information in English or Kiswahili as less trustworthy and less actionable than Kikamba-based communication, often associating it with external authority and misaligned advisories. Third, indigenous linguistic resources, particularly proverbs and ritual registers, emerged as effective pedagogical tools that enhance comprehension, memory retention, and collective learning in climate adaptation practices. Fourth, structural barriers including institutional language regimes, digital communication exclusion, and extractive research practices limit the integration of indigenous languages into formal climate governance systems. The study concludes that indigenous language communication is central to effective climate action in Machakos County, functioning not only as a medium of communication but also as a repository of ecological knowledge and a marker of institutional legitimacy. It recommends integrating Kikamba into climate communication frameworks, reforming institutional language policies, and strengthening community-centered knowledge exchange mechanisms to improve climate adaptation outcomes.