Kenya has urged the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) to increase funding and technical support for peace and security efforts across the Horn of Africa, saying sustained investment is essential for long-term regional stability.

Speaking during the IGAD Regional Forum for Eminent Personalities and Leaders on Peace in Nairobi on Thursday, Gender, Culture, the Arts and Heritage Cabinet Secretary Hannah Cheptumo appealed to IGAD to actively mobilize both bilateral and multilateral resources to reinforce peacebuilding initiatives already in motion.

“I therefore invite IGAD, through this Council, to take decisive action to commit funding and technical support, including bilateral and multilateral contributions, that sustain our collective wisdom-building efforts,” said Cheptumo.

She pledged Kenya’s legal, financial, and institutional support to IGAD’s peace architecture and preventive diplomacy mechanisms, underlining the country’s commitment to advancing stability in the region.

“On behalf of the Government of Kenya, and with gratitude to IGAD and all partners, I pledge our legal, financial, and institutional support to the work of the IGAD Council of Eminent Personalities. Together, let us broaden the circle of peace and strengthen regional stability through truly inclusive preventive diplomacy,” she said.

Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Korir Sing’Oei echoed the call, reaffirming Kenya’s commitment to enhancing IGAD’s capacity to address security threats in the region.

“Kenya reiterates its strong commitment to IGAD and to regional peace and security. We will continue to support the deployment of eminent personalities and the strengthening of IGAD’s institutional capacity,” he said.

Sing’Oei also called for inclusive peacebuilding efforts, urging the inclusion of marginalized groups and diverse voices in dialogue processes.

“The wisdom of eminent personalities should go hand in hand with intergenerational dialogue and inclusive consultations. Peacebuilding cannot succeed if large segments of society remain excluded,” he noted.

The regional forum brought together elders, former heads of state, scholars, and civic leaders to exchange ideas on promoting peace and stability throughout the IGAD region.

IGAD Executive Secretary Workneh Gebeyehu said the meeting reflected a strategic shift from reactive interventions to proactive diplomacy in peace efforts. He outlined two major reforms that the bloc intends to implement.

“First, we will confer full diplomatic status to our preventive diplomacy missions with the complete support of Member States. This represents a transformation from reactive to proactive peacebuilding,” he announced.

“Second, we aim to cement the status of this Council of Eminent Personalities through full endorsement and formal institutional recognition within IGAD’s policy organs.”

Gebeyehu further emphasized that improving operational coordination within IGAD peace programs would help avoid duplication, make better use of available resources, and ensure more effective action under the principle of subsidiarity.