Prime Cabinet Secretary and Cabinet Secretary for Foreign and Diaspora Affairs, Musalia Mudavadi, has signed the IGAD Protocol on transhumance following a successful meeting with the IGAD Secretariat Delegation led by Dr. Fatma Adan, IGAD Head of Mission in Kenya.
The Protocol establishes a crucial framework for the free, safe, and orderly cross-border mobility of transhumant livestock and herders within IGAD Member States. It regulates transhumance activities, including the movement of herders and their livestock across borders, and promotes sustainable management of natural resources such as land, water, and pasture to support transhumance activities.
Additionally, it addresses conflict prevention, mitigation, and resolution related to transhumance.
This initiative aims to promote peaceful coexistence, reduce the risks of violence, and protect the rights and interests of pastoralist communities, including their access to land, water, and grazing resources. It also encourages cooperation and coordination among neighboring countries to address common challenges across borders.
The Protocol was adopted during the 72nd Extra-Ordinary Session of the IGAD Council of Ministers of Foreign Affairs held on June 24, 2021. Kenya becomes the 5th Member State of IGAD to sign it, following Ethiopia, Sudan, South Sudan, and Djibouti.
The signing ceremony was overseen by the Registrar of Treaties, Amb. Joseph Vungo, and attended by Jonathan Mueke, Principal Secretary of the State Department for Livestock Development; Col (Rtd) Ali Raso Dido, the Parliamentary Pastoralist Group representative, and Sarah Korere, MP Laikipia North.
Following the signing by Prime CS Mudavadi, the Protocol will be submitted to the Cabinet and then to the National Assembly for ratification by Kenya.
IGAD, an eight-country trade bloc in Africa, aims to accelerate economic and social development and integration of the region’s members through efforts centered on peace, prosperity, and regional integration.
