Kenya Hosts African Indigenous Pastoralists Gathering Ahead of UN Rangelands Year 2026

 Kenya has hosted a major continental gathering of indigenous pastoralists as preparations intensify for the United Nations’ International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists (IYRP) 2026, positioning pastoralist voices at the centre of global climate and land-use discussions.

The five-day African Indigenous Pastoralists Gathering, running from January 25 to 29, 2026, has brought together about 100 delegates from North, West, Central, Southern and East Africa. The meeting is being held at the Kenya School of Monetary Studies and is hosted by the Government of Kenya through a multi-stakeholder partnership involving 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.

Opening the meeting on Monday, Principal Secretary Kello Harsama of the State Department for ASALs and Regional Development highlighted the central role of pastoralism in Africa’s sustainable development agenda. He noted that pastoralism supports an estimated 258 million people across the continent and occupies nearly 43 per cent of Africa’s landmass.

“Pastoral communities are not only food producers but also custodians of vast rangelands that are critical for biodiversity conservation and carbon sequestration,” PS Harsama said. “Their knowledge systems are essential to climate resilience in some of the world’s most fragile ecosystems.”

Despite their contributions, he acknowledged that pastoralist communities continue to face escalating pressures from climate change, land-use conflicts, biodiversity loss, and the gradual erosion of traditional governance systems. These challenges, he said, threaten both livelihoods and the sustainability of Africa’s rangelands.

The gathering aims to forge a unified African pastoralist agenda ahead of key global processes, including UNCCD COP17, with a focus on ensuring that pastoralist perspectives are meaningfully reflected in international climate, land and biodiversity policies. Discussions are also paying particular attention to the disproportionate impacts of climate change on women, youth and persons with disabilities (PWDs) within pastoral communities.

Over the course of the meeting, participants are documenting lived experiences, developing shared policy positions and strengthening advocacy strategies to improve access to climate finance, social protection and development support. Organisers emphasised that pastoralist communities contribute least to global greenhouse gas emissions yet often bear the heaviest impacts of climate shocks.

A key highlight of the event will be a field visit to indigenous pastoralist communities in Suswa, Narok County, on January 28, offering participants an opportunity for peer learning and practical engagement. The visit is expected to showcase pastoralism as both a vibrant cultural identity and a science-backed model for sustainable rangeland management and biodiversity conservation.

By the end of the gathering, stakeholders anticipate stronger continental networks of pastoralist organisations and government partners, committed to inclusive representation and coordinated advocacy as Africa prepares for the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists 2026.