The event saw the signing by H.E. Dr. Musalia Mudavadi, Prime Cabinet Secretary and Cabinet Secretary for Foreign and Diaspora Affairs of the Government of Kenya. The signing was witnessed by an IGAD Secretariat delegation led by Dr. Fatma Adan, IGAD Head of Mission in Kenya, on behalf of the Executive Secretary, H.E. Dr. Workneh Gebeyehu, accompanied by Dr. Dereje Wakjira, Director of IGAD Centre for Pastoral Areas and Livestock Development; Hon. Jonathan Mueke, Principal Secretary, State Department for Livestock Development; Hon. Col. (Rtd) Ali Raso Dido; Hon. Sarah Korere from the Parliamentary Pastoralist Group; and Ambassador Joseph Vungo, the Registrar of Treaties at the State Department for Foreign Affairs.
The Protocol was adopted during the 72nd Extraordinary Session of the IGAD Council of Ministers of Foreign Affairs held on 24 June 2021. Kenya is the fifth IGAD Member State to sign the Protocol, following the Republic of Sudan, the Republic of South Sudan, the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, and the Republic of Uganda.
The Protocol is critical as it provides a framework for the free, safe, and orderly cross-border mobility of transhumance livestock and herders in search of water and pasture in IGAD Member States. It focuses on conflict prevention, mitigation, and resolution, fostering peaceful coexistence and reducing the risk of violence. It also encourages cooperation and coordination among neighbouring countries to address common cross-border challenges.
Following the signing, the Protocol will be submitted to the Cabinet and then to the National Assembly for approval of ratification by Kenya.
Download attached Press Release in both English and French
PRESS RELEASE – Kenya Signs the IGAD Free Movement of Persons Protocol
COMMUNIQUÉ DE PRESSE – Le Kenya Signe le Protocole de l’IGAD sur la Libre Circulation des Personnes
