Cycling D-Day nigh - Africa moves to climax

By M'thetho Lungu

Frederick Akula, team leader for Kenya's Harambee21, enjoys his one but last breakfast on Africa's biggest climate justice cycling campaign.

He tells me he and his charges are even more energetic to conclude the We Have Faith - Act Now for Climate Justice campaign which flagged off on 31st August in Maputo, Mozambique.

The 6,500km long green expedition, which has been to nine east and southern African countries, holding key concerts in nine cities and mobilising for 1 million signatures through the African People's Petition, winds down tomorrow at Uhuru Park, Nairobi in Kenya.

Our brothers and sisters in Maputo started the first peddle. Kenya is going to nail the last peddle. Our brothers and sisters in between Maputo and Nairobi kept it alive and exciting. The African team is winning its game.

The continent's demand for reduction global emissions can never be more emphasized. With the 1 million plus signatures collected and petitions delivered to Paris before world leaders, Barack Obama and his team of affluent leader polluters will have no excuse to look aside.

Africa has spoken and will continue to speak.

African faith leaders having met yesterday and having analysed the status quo, Pan African parliamentarians having done the same and the entire African continent having participated in buttressing our demands, the Kyoto protocol's faults have no space into the Paris agreement from December.

Cycling momentum:

Today Kenya's Harambee21 ride about 40km to Mlolongo where the team rests, to prepare for a gallant entry and final campaign cyclists reception in Nairobi.

They will cycle about 23km from Mlolongo into Nairobi's freeom park before joining a peoples march to Uhuru Park for the final concert. They would have helped over 200 professional and casual riders that participated in the nine countries and main cities We Have Faith Act Now campaign, bagging about 6,500km.

This morning they depart Machakos at 10:30am.