Kenya — Senior experts, statisticians and government officials from Kenya and Somalia have convened in Machakos County for a high-level technical meeting to harmonise how migration data is collected, analysed and shared across borders.

The meeting, held under an exchange programme supported by the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), seeks to strengthen regional data systems on migration and displacement—an area increasingly central to planning, service delivery and long-term development across the IGAD region.

Speaking at the session, Dr. Fadumo Aden, Head of IGAD in Kenya, underscored the importance of credible, policy-relevant statistics. “Without reliable and policy-relevant data, effective planning in the Horn of Africa is impossible,” she said, adding that IGAD remains committed to strengthening regional migration and displacement data systems.

Somalia’s National Bureau of Statistics (SNBS) Director General, Dr. Abdisalam Mohamed, highlighted progress made by Somalia and reiterated the national priority placed on timely, harmonised migration data. “We are adopting relevant good practices to Somalia’s specific national context, and this exchange programme is serving as a platform to adopt international best practices to Somalia’s unique socio-political landscape,” he said.

Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) Director General, Mr. Macdonald Obudho, emphasised the value of regional solidarity, describing the exchange as a shared commitment to building a harmonised regional approach. He noted that the programme’s ultimate objective is to improve the accuracy and usability of migration data to better inform development policies across the IGAD bloc—turning shared regional challenges into shared opportunities.

Officials said the discussions will focus on aligning methodologies, strengthening data governance and improving mechanisms for cross-border data sharing to support evidence-based decision-making.