November 10, 2025 (NAIROBI, Kenya): The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) today opened the 15th Steering Committee Meeting of the Land Governance Programme in Nairobi, Kenya, bringing together Member States, technical experts, and development partners to review progress and refine priorities for strengthening land governance across the region. The Meeting comes at a decisive moment as IGAD and its Member States intensify efforts to advance equitable, climate resilient, and conflict sensitive land systems that respond to the needs of women, youth, and communities across the region.
Chairing the opening session, Mohamed Ali Kaourah, Deputy Director of Urban Planning in the Ministry of Cities, Urban Planning and Habitat of Djibouti, reaffirmed Djibouti’s conviction that secure land tenure and property rights underpin human rights, poverty reduction, peacebuilding, food security, sustainable urban development, and long term economic transformation. He emphasised that the IGAD Land Governance Programme has been designed to ensure that regional tools, guidelines, and frameworks respond directly to the challenges faced by Member States, enabling their effective application within national land administration and dispute resolution systems.
Delivering remarks on behalf of the Acting Coordinator of the IGAD Land Governance Programme, Ms Joselyne Bigirwa, Dr Addis Teshome expressed appreciation to the Government of Kenya for hosting the Meeting. He acknowledged the dedication of Member States, directors of land ministries, and national land commissions who continue to champion reforms at national and sub national levels. He also recognised the vital support of IGAD’s development partners — including the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, the Embassy of Sweden in Ethiopia, GIZ, and the African Development Bank — whose collaboration continues to advance this complex yet transformative agenda.
Representing the host country, Mr Kararu Chege, National Director of Physical Planning in the Ministry of Lands, Public Works, Housing and Urban Development of Kenya, welcomed delegates to Nairobi and reaffirmed Kenya’s strong commitment to the IGAD Land Governance Programme and to the Member States engaged in it. He underscored the essential role IGAD plays in strengthening land administration systems, securing tenure rights, and supporting governance approaches that contribute to peace, stability, and long term socio economic prosperity across the region.
Discussions highlighted major achievements in 2025 — a year that marked the Programme’s transition from foundational learning to full scale implementation. Key accomplishments included supporting national policy development in Djibouti and South Sudan, advancing rangelands mapping and planning in the Karamoja Cluster, facilitating regional learning exchanges in Kenya and Ghana, developing an Alternative Dispute Resolution guide, and promoting community led, gender responsive climate adaptation initiatives in Djibouti, Kenya, and Uganda. National and regional dialogues with women parliamentarians further demonstrated IGAD’s commitment to inclusive and gender responsive land governance.
These efforts strengthened national systems, empowered subnational authorities, and expanded both in-country and cross-border interventions. Knowledge exchange — one of the programme’s strongest assets — enabled Member States to learn from each other and from leading African experiences. Despite challenges, including reduced funding allocations, IGAD reaffirmed its commitment to sustaining momentum and scaling impact in partnership with Member States and development partners.
As deliberations continue, the Steering Committee is expected to outline the next phase of the Programme by identifying gaps, reviewing progress, and refining priorities that support peace, prosperity, and resilient land governance systems across the IGAD region.
