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From Herders to Entrepreneurs: AFD opens photography exhibition on the future of pastoralism in East Africa
The Agence Française de Développement (AFD) has unveiled an exhibition dubbed “From Herders to Entrepreneurs: Pastoralism in Transition” at the Alliance Française de Nairobi, with an aim to reframe pastoralism as an economic frontier across the Horn of Africa. This event marks France's renewed commitment to the region's pastoral economies and coincides with the United Nations International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists 2026. The event was officially inaugurated by the Ambassador of France to Kenya and Somalia, H.E. Arnaud Suquet, and Prof. Abdi Yakub Guliye, EBS, Advisor on Livestock and Rangeland Management to the President of Kenya.
Pastoralism is a cultural and economic pillar of the Horn of Africa, that sustains an estimated 20 million people across Kenya, Ethiopia and Somalia, and contributes up to 12% of Kenya’s and 45% of Somalia’s GDPs. Yet for all its scale, the sector remains underinvested, constrained by fragmented markets and mounting climate pressures. Through photographs, portraits and artefacts collected across the region, the exhibition tells another story. It challenges the narrative of vulnerability and presents it as a modern economic driver, home to thriving women entrepreneurs, youth-led businesses and expanding regional cross-border trade routes.
Behind these stories is a broader regional effort to unlock the sector’s economic potential. Through its €17 million Regional Livestock Programme, co-financed by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), AFD is supporting more competitive and climate-resilient livestock value chains across five cross-border corridors in Kenya, Somalia and Ethiopia. Implemented by Mercy Corps, CIRAD, Helvetas, Welthungerhilfe and IGAD/ICPALD, this also includes the camel milk trade routes linking Wajir and Hargeisa. With a particular focus on women and youth entrepreneurs, the programme aims to improve the livelihoods of more than 540,000 people across the region.
France supporting Kenya, Somalia vision for a resilient pastoral economy
"The Government of Kenya recognizes the importance of pastoralism and its contribution to the national economy and household livelihoods, particularly in ASAL areas, which constitute over 80% of Kenya. To strengthen pastoral livelihoods, the government is undertaking various initiatives, including the establishment of pastoralist-owned County Livestock Investment Companies across 21 ASAL counties, operationalisation of the Livestock Enterprise Development Fund, establishment of a National Strategic Fodder Reserve, establishment of pastoral cooperatives, and the rollout of the Animal Identification and Traceability System (ANITRAC)," said Prof. Abdi Yakub Guliye, Advisor on Livestock and Rangeland Management to the President of Kenya.
"This exhibition invites us to look beyond pastoralism as a way of life and recognise it as a powerful driver of opportunity, innovation and regional prosperity.Across Kenya, Somalia and the wider Horn of Africa, pastoral communities are creating businesses, connecting markets and demonstrating that local knowledge can drive sustainable economic growth. France, through AFD, is proud to work alongside its partners to expand opportunities for women and young entrepreneurs, strengthen access to finance and unlock the full potential of pastoral value chain," said Ambassador of France to Kenya and Somalia, H.E. Arnaud Suquet.
“Pastoralism is too often viewed only through the lens of vulnerability, when it is also a powerful driver of economic opportunity, regional integration and climate resilience. AFD is committed to working alongside partners such as IGAD and ZEP-RE to connect pastoral communities with markets, finance and innovative risk-management solutions, enabling them not only to withstand climate shocks, but to invest, create value and prosper,” said Aissatou Kumagangue, AFD Deputy Regional Director for Eastern Africa.
The stakes extend beyond markets and livelihoods. Pastoral communities are among the first to bear the consequences of climate change, yet their ancestral knowledge of ecosystem management offers some of the most effective nature-based solutions for land restoration and biodiversity preservation available on the continent. As Africa prepares to host COP32 in Ethiopia in 2027, France is committed to amplifying this message: supporting pastoralism means supporting climate solutions. That commitment took concrete form at the Africa Forward Summit in Nairobi in May 2026, to expand access to agricultural finance and insurance products for pastoral and agricultural actors across the region.
The exhibition runs at the Alliance Française de Nairobi from 4 to 12 July 2026 and is free and open to the public.