NAIROBI, Kenya, May 15 – Narok Senator Ledama Olekina has warned against climate policies that could undermine pastoralist communities, saying Africa must resist pressure to adopt methane reduction measures that threaten traditional livelihoods under the guise of climate action.
Speaking during the Regional Parliamentary Seminar on Methane Emissions and Climate Action in Nairobi, Olekina said policies targeting livestock reduction would face resistance from pastoralist communities that depend on cattle for survival, income and cultural identity.
Olekina, who spoke from the perspective of pastoralist communities including the Maasai, cautioned against blanket methane reduction strategies targeting livestock numbers without offering viable economic alternatives to communities whose livelihoods depend on cattle rearing.
“I represent a community that grazes cows. If anyone comes up with a policy that says that we now reduce our cows, you will be affecting my livelihood and we will say no to that,” the Narok senator said.
His remarks come amid growing global focus on methane emissions from livestock production.
Scientists have identified the beef and dairy industry as one of the leading contributors to greenhouse gas emissions, with methane accounting for a significant share of emissions generated through cattle digestion and waste.
According to climate experts, livestock-related methane remains a major contributor to global warming because methane is more than 80 times more potent than carbon dioxide over a 20-year period.
Olekina instead urged policymakers to focus on implementation frameworks that improve pastoralist incomes while addressing methane emissions rather than introducing restrictive regulations.
“If you come up with a policy that says we will not restrict your grazing patterns or your way of life, but instead enable you to make more money, then I would be happy for that,” he said.
He argued that climate policies should focus more aggressively on high-emitting sectors such as oil and gas rather than burdening pastoralist communities that contribute relatively little to global greenhouse gas emissions.
“I want you to come up with policies that will target the oil and gas industry because they are the biggest emitters of methane,” he said.
The senator also criticized carbon credit initiatives, arguing that some environmental conservation policies were already limiting access to grazing land and forests traditionally used by pastoralist communities during drought seasons.
“This whole business of carbon credit is now restricting our access to our forests, where we would go and graze cows during drought season,” he said.
Ole Kina cautioned African governments against adopting climate policies driven by developed nations without considering local realities and economic consequences for vulnerable communities.
“Let us not be lured by developed nations, the EU and the United States, that have high levels of methane emissions, to allow us to come up with policies that will destroy our way of life,” he said.
His remarks sparked debate among scientists, policymakers and climate experts attending the seminar, with experts insisting that methane reduction efforts were not aimed at eliminating livestock but improving productivity and sustainability.
Anderson Kehbila Research Director for Africa, and, Cluster Lead for Energy and Climate Change at SEI-Africa said scientists were exploring solutions that increase livestock productivity while lowering emissions rather than reducing herd sizes.
Anderson Kehbila said improved livestock breeds and better animal management systems could help farmers increase productivity while lowering methane emissions.
“Improved breeds might even produce more than one or two cattles,” Kehbila said.
“By having an improved breed that produces more flesh, more milk, you may actually have more productivity than the current conventional breed.”
Value addition
He said African governments should focus on transforming subsistence agriculture into market-driven systems capable of attracting private investment and increasing value addition.
“We have to look at the issue of adaptation from a sustainability perspective, looking at the environment, the social aspect, and economics,” he said.
“Most often, economics is always missing.”
Climate experts at the forum also emphasized that methane reduction could create economic opportunities through waste-to-energy projects, composting, biogas production and improved waste management systems.
George Wamukoya, Team Leader – African Group of Negotiators Experts Support said African countries were prioritizing adaptation over mitigation and that methane reduction efforts should align with development goals.
“Africa’s priority is adaptation. Mitigation is a co-benefit,” Wamukoya said.
“Whatever we are doing, we must be promoting development.”
He acknowledged that public financing for climate action remained inadequate and called for stronger private sector involvement in methane mitigation initiatives.
“Our national budgets are not adequate for climate action,” he said. “We must find creative ways of harnessing resources from all actors.”
The discussions formed part of the two-day seminar bringing together lawmakers, climate experts and development partners from across Africa to explore legislative approaches to methane reduction while balancing economic development and climate resilience