November 16, 2024 (Nairobi and Lodwar, Turkana County): The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) with support from the Sweden Embassy in Addis Ababa initiated a series of consultative meetings focused on gender-responsive, and conflict-sensitive land use planning in Kenya, across the IGAD region. Led by Kenya’s State Department for Lands and Physical Planning (SDLPP), this project unites stakeholders from Kenya, Uganda, Ethiopia, and South Sudan to promote regional cooperation, climate resilience, and reduced land-based conflicts in the ecologically vulnerable Karamoja Cluster. As part of this initiative, IGAD and SDLPP organized national and cluster-level consultative meetings to engage a diverse set of stakeholders providing an opportunity for regional cooperation, capacity building, and sharing best practices for sustainable land use planning.
The two-day National meeting held in November in Nairobi convened stakeholders from the national level to discuss the administration and management of land use planning in Kenya. Participants focused on building frameworks for equitable, sustainable resource management that reflect national priorities and IGAD’s regional vision. This was followed by the cluster-level meeting held in Lodwar from the 14th -15th November.
This meeting brought together IGAD officials, County Government of Turkana officials including the County Commissioner, the Chair of the County Assembly Committee on Lands, the County Executive Member for Lands and Physical Planning who also represented His Excellency, the Governor of Turkana, in addition to Kenya’s State Department for Lands and Physical Planning (SDLPP).
Representing the IGAD Land Governance Programme, Dr. Addis Teshome, highlighted the importance of transnational land governance, urging commitment from all stakeholders to achieve sustainable outcomes. Dr. Peris Mang’ira, Kenya’s National Director of Physical Planning, underscored the need for unified approaches to tackle resource conflicts and environmental challenges, advocating for inclusive, climate-resilient governance frameworks.
The County Chief Officer for Lands and Physical Planning Mr. Robert Loyelei talked at length on the disparities of developments witnessed in Kenya since independence. He said that some regions like Turkana were marginalized and no meaningful development was witnessed until the advent of devolution in Kenya. He added that marginalized counties such as Turkana and parts of Northern Kenya need many years to catch up with more endowed ones like Kiambu and Nairobi. He therefore called for deliberate action by organizations such as IGAD to make serious investments to enable them to catch up with the rest.
The key outcome of the week-long engagement is a roadmap to guide sustainable Land use planning focusing on climate resilience, ecosystem preservation, and conflict reduction. With the project’s strategic emphasis on transboundary dialogue and shared responsibility, the IGAD Land Governance Programme continues to champion a sustainable and inclusive vision for the Karamoja Cluster, setting a precedent for land management and resilience-building across IGAD regions. By bringing together national and local stakeholders, the project supports a more inclusive approach to land use, ensuring policies reflect community values and are resilient to future challenges.
