KENYA HOSTS CONTINENTAL GATHERING TO SHAPE AFRICA’S ’s PASTORALIST AGENDA AHEAD OF IYRP 2026.
BY NJOKI KARANJA
Nairobi, Kenya.
Kenya is hosting a major continental meeting of Indigenous pastoralist leaders this week as Africa prepares for the United Nations’ International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists (IYRP 2026). The African Indigenous Pastoralists Gathering, taking place from January 25 to 29 in Nairobi, brings together about 100 delegates from across North, West, Central, Southern, and East Africa.
Convened at the Kenya School of Monetary Studies, the gathering is aimed at forging a unified African pastoralist agenda ahead of key global policy moments, including the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) COP17. The meeting is organized by a coalition of institutions, including IMPACT Kenya, the African Forum of Pastoralists (AFPAT), the National Drought Management Authority (NDMA), and the State Department for Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (ASALs) and Regional Development.
Pastoralism remains one of Africa’s most widespread and environmentally significant livelihoods, supporting an estimated 258 million people and covering roughly 43 percent of the continent’s landmass. Pastoralist communities manage vast rangelands, safeguard more than 80 percent of Africa’s livestock genetic resources, and play a crucial role in biodiversity conservation and carbon sequestration.
Despite these contributions, pastoralists are among the communities most vulnerable to climate change, land-use pressures, and biodiversity loss. Delegates at the Nairobi meeting are highlighting how climate shocks, resource conflicts, and policy marginalization are undermining traditional governance systems and economic resilience, even as pastoralists contribute least to global greenhouse gas emissions.
A central focus of the gathering is strengthening pastoralist representation in international decision-making spaces. Participants are documenting lived experiences and developing common policy positions to influence climate finance, land governance, and social protection frameworks. Special attention is being given to the gendered impacts of climate change, as well as the needs of women, youth, and persons with disabilities—groups that are often excluded from climate policy design and funding mechanisms.
The five-day meeting will culminate in a field visit on January 28 to indigenous pastoralist communities in Suswa, Narok County. The visit is intended to promote peer learning and ground policy discussions in lived realities, demonstrating pastoralism as both a deeply rooted cultural identity and a viable, science-backed model for rangeland management and biodiversity conservation.
By the close of the gathering, organizers expect to have strengthened regional networks among pastoralist organizations and government partners, laying the groundwork for coordinated African advocacy during IYRP 2026 and beyond. The outcomes are expected to elevate pastoralist voices on the global stage and reinforce their role as key partners in addressing climate change, food security, and sustainable land management.
