According to Wetangula, the fact that the region produces more than 80 percent of the livestock in the country means the production should be fully maximised to their advantage.
Eldas MP Aden Keynan, who is also the chairman of the Northern Kenya Parliamentary Group, reiterated the significance of the summit as a platform for structured dialogue, collaboration, and actionable solutions.
Chairman of the Northern Kenya Parliamentary Group Aden Keynan
speaking during the official opening.
National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetangula has challenged
the Pastoralist Leadership Summit [PLS] to focus on five major issues in their
deliberations that he said remain key to unlocking the region's full economic potential. Speaking in Wajir on Monday when he officially opened the Summit,
Wetangula highlighted livestock production, infrastructure, Trade, Insecurity
and Land as the issues that must be prioritised. Wetangula said that time has come for the region to put behind its past and look into the future. “As we meet here in this conference, I want to
encourage you to focus on these five things. As my MPs from this ASAL and pastoralists.I wouldwant to encourage members of this region to see
yourself as part of a big family called Kenya,” he said.National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang'ula delivers speech as he officially opens the 4th Pastoralist Leadership Summit on December 9, 2024/SCREENRGABAccording to Wetangula, the fact that the region produces more than 80 percent of the livestock
in the country means the production should be fully maximised to their advantage.
“Population grows day and night; meat eating grows in
tandem with those populations in Kenya and elsewhere. As you sit here, focus on
improving breed quality, disease control, marketing, value addition, and money
in your pockets,” he said.
He added: There is no point for you to keep cattle and we slaughter, and then we send our hides and skins to China
and later buy shoes and leather bags from China. We can add value to everything
on our livestock to take to the international market.”. On infrastructure, Wetangula challenged the region's leadership
to come up with a blueprint for infrastructure, saying that the National
Assembly will work hand in hand with the Senate and all agencies where necessary to make the plan successful. “We need many more tarmacked roads to open up this
region so that we can be able to develop and realize the potential of our economic
activities,” he said. Wetangula also delved into insecurity, which has been a thorn
in the flesh of the region, noting that no development can be realized without
security. He challenged the leaders to continue using their respective
kitties to build police stations as well as security infrastructure and
collaborate with the national government, which he noted will go a long way in
securing the regions. On land that has been a source of conflict in many pastoralist
counties, Wetangula said the national assembly and in the senate will be very
ready to translate and transform policy decisions engineered into legislation to help the local leadership
manage their land better and, as a result, reduce conflicts born out of land use.Eldas MP Aden Keynan, the chairman of the Northern Kenya Parliamentary Group reiterated
the significance of the summit as a platform for structured dialogue,
collaboration, and actionable solutions.
“This summit brings
together other key stakeholders to chart a transformative path in underscoring
the importance of leveraging collective expertise to unlock development
opportunities, streamline governance frameworks, and enhance socio-economic
growth across pastoralist regions,” he said.
He added: “This summit is not just a discussion forum;
it is a real meeting to critique, brainstorm, and develop actionable strategies
for the unique challenges faced by pastoralist counties.
The summit, themed ‘Unlocking Policy and Financial
Bottlenecks to Mainstream Pastoralism in Kenya' brings together leaders and stakeholders from
15 pastoralist counties across Kenya.
