Benjamin Mutambukah, Mupenyu Mberi, and Tezera Getahun, WAMIP Members representing Eastern and Southern Africa, were invited to attend a workshop between the 28th to the 30th of December, 2025 on ‘Transhumance Pastoralism, Climate Change and Conflict’ in Nairobi, Kenya.
The workshop, hosted by the African Union included pastoralist representatives, representatives of the African Union and various government ministries), Regional Economic Communities (RECs), NGOs and civil society actors, academics and researchers, and international development partners and donors.
Recognizing pastoralism as ‘one of Africa’s oldest and most resilient livelihood systems,’ and emphasising the importance and need for equitable implementation of the African Union’s Policy Framework for Pastoralism in Africa (2010), the workshop’s objectives look at:
✳️ Reviewing and adapting the framework to climate change, conflict, and governance challenges
✳️ Strengthening resilience to drought, desertification, and shifting mobility routes
✳️ Addressing resource-based conflicts through inclusive governance
✳️ Improving access to essential and gender-responsive services for pastoralist communities
✳️ Protecting transhumance corridors and strengthening multi-level collaboration
In his presentation on ‘Conflict Dynamics in Pastoral Regions of Africa,’ Benjamin Mutambukhah stressed that conflict is not a pastoralist problem but rather a symptom of land governance and policy failure. He recommended replacing exclusionary policy frameworks while increasing investments towards institutions, dialogue, and livelihoods that strengthen pastoral systems for stability, resilience, and peace.
WAMIP welcomes multistakeholder collaborations like this that aim at safeguarding and promoting pastoralist livelihoods.