Kenya has reaffirmed its leadership in regional agricultural development by hosting a high-level validation workshop for the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) Regional Agrifood Systems Investment Plan (RASIP) 2026–2035.
The two-day workshop, held in Nairobi, brought together representatives from IGAD Member States, the African Union Commission (AUC), AUDA-NEPAD, regional Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) experts, development partners, and other key stakeholders.
Delegates at the meeting set out to review and validate the draft RASIP, a strategic framework that will guide agrifood systems transformation across the Horn of Africa over the next decade.
Director of Planning at the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development, Dr. Hesbon Otinga, underscored the significance of Nairobi as the host city noting that the development of the plan began earlier in the year during a regional workshop held in Mombasa, making Kenya a fitting venue for its validation.
Dr. Otinga emphasized that the RASIP seeks to domesticate the African Union’s Kampala CAADP Declaration by prioritizing sustainability and resilience across the entire agrifood system.
He highlighted the region’s exposure to recurrent climate shocks such as droughts, floods, landslides, and transboundary pests which continue to undermine food and nutrition security, livelihoods, and environmental sustainability.
Reflecting on more than two decades of CAADP implementation under the Maputo, Malabo, and now Kampala Declarations, Dr. Otinga called on participants to draw lessons from past experiences. He urged stakeholders to ensure that the new plan addresses previous gaps by promoting resilient, inclusive, and climate-smart agrifood systems tailored to the Horn of Africa’s unique challenges.
IGAD’s Director for Economic Cooperation and Regional Integration, Dr. Mohy Tahomi, described the RASIP as a paradigm shift from a narrow focus on agricultural growth to a comprehensive agrifood systems approach.
He noted that the plan comes at a critical time, as the region grapples with conflict, climate change, food insecurity, and economic shocks.
Dr. Tahomi stressed the importance of translating the strategy into bankable, implementable programmes that strengthen value chains, promote regional trade, support industrialization, and build resilience to climate risks.
The draft RASIP builds on the earlier Regional Agricultural Investment Plan (RAIP 2016–2020) and aligns with National Agrifood Systems Investment Plans (NASIPs) across IGAD Member States. It introduces stronger emphasis on climate adaptation, sustainable natural resource management, youth and women’s empowerment, digital innovation, and regional market integration.
In addition, the plan also links agrifood transformation with broader regional priorities, including water, land, livestock, the blue economy, and environmental conservation.
The validation workshop adopted a participatory methodology, combining plenary discussions and technical breakout sessions to refine the plan’s pillars, flagship programmes, theory of change, and implementation and monitoring arrangements.
Experts from agriculture, water, environment, trade, and livestock sectors contributed to ensure coherence and cross-sectoral integration.
Dr. Otinga acknowledged the critical role of development partners in supporting the region’s agrifood agenda and called for continued collaboration as IGAD moves toward implementation of the RASIP.
He stressed that success will depend on coordinated transboundary programmes implemented by Member States under the guidance of the IGAD Secretariat. The Nairobi workshop marks a key milestone toward ministerial endorsement of the RASIP 2026–2035.
Once adopted, the plan is expected to provide a strong foundation for coordinated investment, enhanced regional cooperation, and resource mobilization aimed at transforming agrifood systems, improving livelihoods, and safeguarding the environment across the Horn of Africa.
Dr. Otinga urged participants to carefully review and validate the draft plan to ensure it delivers on its ambition of building a resilient, inclusive, and nutrition-sensitive agrifood system for the IGAD region over the next ten years.
By Joseph Ng’ang’a
