Magamba Network has launched UKWELI a pioneering African-led initiative designed to counter what experts say is one of the dangerous and least addressed forces driving the climate crisis: climate disinformation.
The resource was unveiled on 10 December during a virtual webinar that brought together activists, researchers, journalists, fact-checkers and policy advocates from across the continent.
Organisers say the toolkit marks a significant step in Africa’s growing role in the global fight for information integrity.
The launch comes as the International Panel on the Information Environment (IPIE) warns that a surge of deliberate climate falsehoods is accelerating the crisis, “turning it into a catastrophe”.
According to the panel, disinformation pushed by fossil fuel companies, Big Tech, political actors and foreign lobbyists is undermining climate action, distorting public debate and threatening the resilience of African communities already on the frontline of climate impacts.
At the recently held COP30 summit, governments placed information integrity at the heart of climate action endorsing a Declaration on Information Integrity on Climate Change.
More than 15 countries signed the agreement committing to protect the public from falsehoods that distort science and delay crucial climate responses.
Magamba Network says UKWELI is its most ambitious contribution to that effort.
The initiative builds on the organisation’s Log Off the Lies campaign launched in October 2025 which exposed coordinated networks of climate disinformation operating across the continent.
Described by Magamba as the first resource of its kind on the continent, UKWELI is presented as a practical evolving toolbox rather than a static report.
It is designed for community leaders, journalists, youth creators, policymakers and frontline communicators.
The toolkit offers guidance on how to spot climate misinformation and disinformation, expose coordinated campaigns of manipulation, debunk viral climate myths, build truth-driven narratives grounded in African lived experience and strengthen community resilience against climate lies.
Its creators say the resource is rooted in Indigenous knowledge and informed by African researchers, technologists, storytellers and grassroots communities.
“Our African information ecosystem is being polluted by the same people polluting our air, our lands and our rivers,” said Samm Farai Monro, Magamba Network’s Creative Director.
He added “UKWELI gives us the tools to fight back not just to spot the lies, but to tell better, more compelling stories that inspire climate action so Africa can leapfrog to a people-powered, clean energy future.”
Information integrity specialist Harriet Kingaby welcomed the toolkit saying it arrives at a crucial moment.
“We will only solve climate change if we can have an informed public conversation about the solutions. But right now, vested interests are polluting our information environments to confuse people and obscure the truth.
“This toolkit is a powerful way for people to skill up and fight back.” she said.
Mactilda Mbenywe, UKWELI’s lead researcher and an award-winning climate science journalist said climate disinformation in Africa has long been underestimated.
“Our research shows that climate disinformation in Africa is not just noise—it is a weapon. For years it has exploited Africa’s weak points. This toolkit turns those weak points into strengths by giving journalists, educators and communities practical tools to detect lies, defend truth and protect their futures,” she said
The release of UKWELI aligns with broader regional efforts to boost digital resilience, support youth-led fact-checking initiatives and integrate climate truth into public communication and policymaking.
The toolkit forms part of Magamba Network’s Climate x Indigenous Voices programme under the larger project Amplifying Indigenous Activists’ Voices: Countering Climate Disinformation.
The initiative is supported by the Digital Democracy Initiative (DDI) funded by the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs with co-funding from the European Commission and the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Magamba Network is calling on journalists, civil society organisations, youth movements and climate justice advocates across the continent to engage with the resource.
“UKWELI is a tool for building a climate-informed, truth-powered African future. The fight for climate justice depends on the fight for truth.” the organisation said.
