The ‘Nairobi Process: A Pact for Responsible Business’ is a new initiative being developed by the Institute for Human Rights and Business (IHRB) in collaboration with the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights which aims to embed human rights due diligence through the application of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights in the emerging oil and gas sector in Kenya. There are widespread expectations in Kenya of the economic benefits that a developing oil and gas sector can offer in terms of employment and revenue, but also concerns as to the potential for adverse social and environmental impacts. In order to develop a sustainable and equitable extractive sector in Kenya that avoids the ‘resource curse’ which has afflicted many other African oil-producing countries, human rights challenges must be addressed alongside issues of transparency and accountability.