PCS Musalia Mudavadi Signs IGAD Agreement on Livestock Migration

Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi has signed the IGAD Protocol on Transhumance after a successful meeting with the IGAD Secretariat Delegation, led by Dr. Fatma Adan, IGAD Head of Mission in Kenya.

This Protocol establishes a crucial framework for the free, safe, and orderly movement of transhumant livestock and herders searching for water and pasture across IGAD Member States.

It governs transhumance activities, such as the movement of herders and their livestock across borders, sustainable management of natural resources (land, water, and pasture) to support transhumance, and conflict prevention, mitigation, and resolution.

The Protocol aims to promote peaceful coexistence, reduce violence risks, and protect the rights and interests of pastoralist communities, including their access to land, water, and grazing resources. It also seeks to enhance cooperation and coordination among neighboring countries in addressing shared cross-border challenges.

The Protocol was adopted during the 72nd Extraordinary Session of the IGAD Council of Ministers of Foreign Affairs on June 24, 2021. Kenya is now the fifth IGAD Member State to sign the Protocol, following Ethiopia, Sudan, South Sudan, and Djibouti.

The signing ceremony, overseen by Ambassador Joseph Vungo, Registrar of Treaties, was attended by Hon. Jonathan Mueke, Principal Secretary of the State Department for Livestock Development; Hon. Col (Rtd) Ali Raso Dido, Parliamentary Pastoralist Group representative; and Hon. Sarah Korere, MP Laikipia North.

After the Prime Cabinet Secretary and Cabinet Secretary for Foreign and Diaspora Affairs sign the Protocol, it will be submitted to the Cabinet and then to the National Assembly for Kenya’s ratification approval.

The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) is an eight-country trade bloc in Africa that seeks to accelerate economic and social development and integration within the region, focusing on peace, prosperity, and regional integration.

SOURCE: NEWS AGENCIES