The Asal Policy of Kenya: Releasing the Full Potential of Arid and Semi-Arid Lands - An Analytical Review

Abstract

The arid and semi-arid lands of Kenya have much to offer our country. It is time that we looked at them differently, recognizing their strengths and resources and understanding what makes them distinct. By doing so, we will remove the injustices from which they have suffered for too long, contribute to achieving our national development goals, and act in accordance with the spirit and commitments of our Constitution. (Hon. Mohamed Ibrahim Elmi, Minister of State for Development of Northern Kenya and Other Arid Lands, Foreword to the ASAL Policy) The Government of Kenya adopted a national policy on arid and semi-arid lands (ASALs) in October 2012, concluding a process that took nearly two decades and involved the production of several drafts (Republic of Kenya 2012). Sessional Paper No. 8 of 2012 on the National Policy for the Sustainable Development of Northern Kenya and Other Arid Lands (hereafter the ASAL Policy) was launched by the Minister of State for Development of Northern Kenya and Other Arid Lands, the Hon. Mohamed Ibrahim Elmi--himself a pastoralist and a long-time advocate for pastoralism--at a public function in Nairobi on 5 February 2013. Also launched at the same function was the institutional framework for the ASALs. Adoption of the ASAL Policy marks an important milestone in the institutionalization of appropriate policy responses to the marginalization and underdevelopment of the ASALs. It is effectively the most significant achievement of the Ministry of State for Development of Northern Kenya and Other Arid Lands (MNKOAL), which was created by President Kibaki in April 2008 with the stated objective of focusing on and addressing the unique challenges facing ASALs. The policy reinforces other positive measures for the ASALs articulated in Kenya Vision 2030 of 2008, the 2010 Constitution of Kenya and the 2009 National Land Policy. Together, these policy instruments constitute a strong foundation for the sustainable development of the ASALs. Backed by the proposed institutional framework they put in place an appropriate policy and institutional framework for addressing the livelihoods and development challenges of the ASALs. The ASAL Policy makes a strong case for integrating the ASALs into the national economy, stating that: The Government recognizes that Kenya will not achieve sustained growth in her economy and progress as a nation if the ASALs are not appropriately factored into national planning and development. Trickle down approaches from areas which already have more favourable investment climates have not worked; moreover the potential for significant growth in these areas is now limited. (Chapter 1.6) Marginalized since Colonial Times The ASALs cover nearly 90 per cent of Kenya's land mass and are home to nearly 30 per cent of its population. In addition, they hold approximately 70 per cent of the national livestock herd and are the location of most of the country's national parks, which support its thriving wildlife tourism. Yet the ASALs have not historically received policy attention commensurate with their importance to the country and its economy. Instead, they have been marginalized in terms of resource allocation, infrastructure development, social-service delivery and economic investment. The population in the ASALs have had little or no participation in political leadership and hence no opportunity to influence policy decisions and actions in their favour. Colonial approaches to the ASALs continued in the post-colonial era and became institutionalized in the country's economic development blueprint, Sessional Paper No. 10 of 1965 on African Socialism and its Application to Planning in Kenya, which focused national economic development strategies towards agriculture, investing resources in the so-called high-potential areas. In the 1965 sessional paper the government made a deliberate policy choice to starve the ASALs of resources. …