Wetangula to PLS : 5 major issues that will help unlock the regions full potential

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 would  want to encourage members of this region to see yourself as part of a big family called Kenya,” he said.

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.

“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.