Policies may be shaped in conference rooms, but their true meaning and impact are revealed in the everyday lives of the communities they are meant to serve.
This reflection was brought into sharp focus during our visit to Moyale, Kenya, alongside decisionmakers from member states of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) and Civil Society Organisation (CSO) partners from border areas in the Horn of Africa. Situated in Marsabit County, along Kenya’s border with Ethiopia, Moyale is more than a point on a map. It is a place where livelihoods, relationships and economic activity extend across national boundaries—and where regional policy decisions have immediate consequences for daily life.
The visit offered an opportunity to move beyond formal policy discussions and engage directly with pastoralist communities, local leaders, women cross-border traders, young people and community partners. Their perspectives illuminated the interconnected realities of mobility, trade, access to water and natural resources, and peaceful coexistence in the Kenya–Ethiopia borderlands.
Community partners working on the ground underscored the importance of locally driven approaches, sustained engagement and partnerships that translate policy commitments into practical action. Their experiences showed how local organisations and communities navigate complex borderland challenges and why their knowledge and leadership are indispensable to effective regional responses.
Conversations with local leaders added depth to this understanding. They highlighted emerging priorities, the importance of trusted local leadership and the need for solutions that reflect the cross-border nature of livelihoods, social networks and shared resources. In these settings, administrative boundaries do not neatly define how people live, work or respond to challenges. Regional cooperation must therefore be informed by the people who experience these dynamics firsthand.
Women cross-border traders from both the Kenya and Ethiopia sides brought another essential perspective. Their trading activities sustain households and connect local economies, yet they also encounter practical difficulties in accessing markets, moving across borders and navigating the systems that regulate commerce. Listening to these women is essential to designing policies and interventions that reflect the realities of cross-border trade and respond to the needs of those who depend on it.
Young people also offered important insights into the future of pastoralist communities. As livelihoods evolve and opportunities remain constrained, their aspirations and experiences must be central to discussions on resilience, peaceful coexistence and local development. Youth participation should not be treated as an afterthought; it should be integral to shaping the region’s future.
Visits to the Somare dam construction site in Sololo and to community boreholes brought the importance of water infrastructure into clear view. For pastoralist communities in arid and semi-arid areas, reliable water access is fundamental to human well-being, livestock production, household stability and economic resilience. Yet the value of water infrastructure cannot be measured by its existence alone. Accessibility, reliability, equitable use and communal management matter just as much.
These site visits reinforced the need to assess infrastructure through the lived experiences of the people who rely on it. Investments have the greatest potential to strengthen resilience when they respond to community priorities and recognise the different ways in which people access and manage shared resources.
Across these engagements, one lesson stood out: regional integration becomes meaningful when it is grounded in the realities of the communities it seeks to serve. The Kenya–Ethiopia borderlands are not simply geographical spaces separating two countries. They are interconnected social and economic landscapes shaped by shared livelihoods, markets, resources, relationships and challenges. Responding effectively requires collaboration among governments, local leaders, civil society and communities themselves.
The visit was designed to connect regional policy priorities with realities on the ground. It also demonstrated why community voices must inform decisions directly, rather than being represented only through reports or institutional accounts. Direct engagement will not resolve every challenge, but it can deepen understanding, challenge assumptions and make policies and programmes more responsive to local contexts.
Meaningful change begins when we move beyond merely listening to community voices but ensure that their experiences, knowledge, and aspirations shape the decisions that affect their lives.
For us, this is the lasting lesson from Moyale. Effective engagement is not simply about visiting communities or documenting the challenges they face. It is about recognising communities as equal partners in development and ensuring that their perspectives influence the decisions and investments that shape their futures.
Sustainable solutions for pastoralist and borderland communities must draw on indigenous knowledge, existing community structures, meaningful and inclusive participation, cross-border collaboration and a genuine commitment to turning dialogue into tangible improvements in people’s lives. Ultimately, the measure of this visit will not be the conversations it generated, but the extent to which the priorities expressed by communities shape future decisions, partnerships and action across the IGAD region.
Martha Kiiza Bakwesegha is the Programme Manager for the Horn of Africa Regional Programme at the Life & Peace Institute.
Abdikarim M. Dahiye is the Co-Ordinator, IGAD Climate Security Mechanism.
The views expressed do not necessarily reflect those of the organisations the authors represent.
