Gerald Barekye

Gerald Barekye is a Ugandan environmental activist and Executive Director of the Center for Environmental Research and Agricultural Innovations (CERAI), a youth-led nonprofit advocating for energy transition, climate justice, agricultural innovation, and natural resource governance. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Agriculture and Rural Innovations from Makerere University, with additional training in energy justice and natural resource governance.

Gerald began his environmental activism in 2018 when he helped found CERAI. He has previously worked as a research associate with the Africa Institute for Energy Governance and as an agricultural extension worker with the Wakiso District Farmers Association. A committed farmer and organizer, Gerald has been at the forefront of campaigns to transition from fossil fuels to clean, renewable energy—particularly in the Albertine Graben, where he has worked to support oil-affected communities in their pursuit of environmental justice.

He has authored more than 50 opinion pieces published in both local and international media, and has participated in numerous regional and global campaigns calling for an end to fossil fuel development in Africa. In response to the growing impacts of climate change, Gerald is currently mobilizing young people across Uganda to take action for environmental conservation. His research interests include energy justice, climate change, agricultural governance, and food security.