Nairobi: The government has called for robust investment in building resilience and inclusivity in pastoralist and dryland communities, urging policymakers and development partners to view the regions as national assets rather than marginalized areas.
According to Kenya News Agency, State Department for Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (ASALs) and Regional Development Principal Secretary, Kello Harsama, emphasized that Kenya's drylands remain central to the country's growth. He highlighted that these areas cover 80 percent of the landmass, support millions of livelihoods, and are home to rich cultures and ecosystems, marking them as strategic national assets.
In a speech read on his behalf by Acting Secretary in the State Department for ASALs and Regional Development, Ambrose Lorre, during a forum on pastoralism and resilience in Nairobi, Harsama explained that pastoralism, rooted in dryland communities, is a dynamic and forward-looking system contributing significantly to food security, economic growth, and ecological balance. He noted that last year's pastoralist policy dialogue in Wajir marked a turning point in Kenya's approach, with bold commitments made on restoring rangelands, safeguarding pastoralist values, and addressing land degradation.
Harsama remarked that the forum is a platform for reflection, collaboration, and co-creation of locally-led and globally relevant solutions. He urged participants to ensure no community is left behind and no rangeland lost to degradation, highlighting inclusive dryland investment as a government priority under the Sectoral Policy Framework. He further suggested future meetings be held in pastoralist community locations rather than capital cities.
Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) Deputy Executive Secretary, Mohamed Abdi Ware, underscored the importance of shifting perceptions about pastoralist communities. He highlighted pastoralism's centrality to IGAD's mandate and emphasized the convergence of peace, security, and regional integration in arid and semi-arid regions. Ware challenged governments and partners to change the narrative, recognizing pastoralists as resilient and resourceful.
Ware also highlighted IGAD's flagship programmes on pastoralism and the Drought Disaster Resilience, which have attracted significant investment from member states. He stressed the importance of strong governance to safeguard pastoralist rights and ensure sustainable land use.
Executive Director of ENDA Energie and Chair of the Global Network for Disaster Reduction, Emmanuel Seck, emphasized the human dimension of resilience. He cautioned against approaches that exclude local communities and called for stronger cross-border cooperation through IGAD, the Great Green Wall, and other regional frameworks. Seck praised initiatives like SPARC for advancing political dialogue on pastoralism and influencing global policy declarations linking climate change, conflict, and peace.
Seck cited practical innovations such as solar-powered milk chilling units, drought-resistant farming, and agroforestry as examples of resilience at the community level. He warned of the risks posed by declining international aid and shrinking climate finance, stressing that development risks becoming extractive and exclusionary if it ignores the socio-ecological realities of drylands.
The forum is expected to lay the groundwork for joint strategies to strengthen food security, promote regional integration, and build a sustainable future for communities living in arid and semi-arid areas.