Africa Harvest Engages in Strategic Dialogue on ASAL Development
On Wednesday, February 12, 2025, Dr. Florence Wambugu, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Africa Harvest, along with Nehemiah Mburu, Technical Program Lead at Africa Harvest, participated in a consultative meeting for development partners at Weston Hotel in Nairobi. The event was hosted by the Ministry of East African Community (EAC), the Semi-Arid Lands (ASALs), and Regional Development.
The meeting was attended by prominent figures, including Cabinet Secretary Hon. Beatrice Askul Moe, Principal Secretary Mr. Kello Harsama, and other senior officials from the State Department of Arid and Regional Development (SDARD).
“The purpose of today’s consultation is to focus on activities that add value to the people, ensuring we don’t duplicate efforts but instead harmonize our activities. We aim to work on the government’s priorities while addressing the needs of the people and redistributing development in ASAL areas,” Hon. Beatrice explained.
She further stated “This will ensure a positive impact on women and children, climate change, agriculture and food security, livestock development, and cross-border issues, ultimately enhancing the value and appreciation of what partners are doing.”
The Principal Secretary Mr. Kello Harsama emphasized that the engagement meeting was essential, offering a valuable platform for partners to exchange innovative ideas on resource management in the ASAL region.
He highlighted that previously, many organizations operated in the region based on policies that were often disconnected from the local realities. The PS further shared that there is now a concerted effort to encourage these organizations to focus on resilient programs that provide practical solutions to the unique challenges faced by the ASALs.
“It is important to note that the weather is not expected to favor pastoralist areas, particularly the 23 ASAL counties, in the coming months. However, the government, through the National Disaster Response Committee, has put in place mitigation measures in case the situation worsens,” said the PS.
Dr. Dominic Menjo from the Presidential Economic Transformation Secretariat (PETS) presented the Bottom-up Economic Transformation Agenda’s (BETA) strategy for the ASALs. This strategy emphasizes developing resilient solutions, with a pastoralist-based feedlot model as a key avenue for transforming the ASALs.
The meeting brought together guests from organizations working in Kenya’s ASAL regions, such as The World Bank, The European Union, The British Commission, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), the Embassy of Sweden, United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), the Danish Refugee Council, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), the Kenya Red Cross Society, German International Cooperation Society (GIZ), Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), World Vision International, the World Food Programme (WFP), United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), and others.
The primary aim of the meeting was to allow development partners to engage directly with the Cabinet Secretary and provide updates on their work in the target regions, which are already showing early signs of drought. The partners agreed to align their efforts and interventions through the ASAL Development Partners’ Group, currently facilitated by WFP. Each partner shared updates on their activities, with the Cabinet Secretary acknowledging their requests and responding during her remarks.
Africa Harvest was welcomed as the ‘new kid on the block’ of the ASALs Development Partners’ Group. The CEO, Dr. Florence Wambugu, provided a brief update on the organization’s ongoing work in the ASAL regions and formally requested to be included in the group.
The meeting concluded with the identification of four key areas for future collaboration: prioritizing collective efforts among all partners; fostering effective communication and alignment to ensure a unified approach; strengthening working groups to enhance synergies and improve coordination; and engaging in joint planning, design, and implementation of interventions to ensure more impactful and sustainable outcomes in the ASAL regions.
