Rodah Chepkobus Rotino (left) sings a traditional song with Irene Arono (right) during the Gender & Data Conference in Cali, Colombia, in October 2024. Both Rodah and Irene belong to the indigenous Pokot community in Kenya. Image credit: Women4Biodiversity
The International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples is observed on 9 August every year. To honour this day, we bring you a story rooted in land, culture, and the enduring strength of women.
In the latest episode of Voices Unveiled, we speak with Rodah Chepkobus Rotino, a Pokot woman whose name Chepkobus, given by her mother, means “rain showers” in the Pokot language. Like the rain that nourishes the earth, Rodah’s work revitalises both the land and the communities who depend on it.
As Founder and Executive Director of the Pastoral Communities Empowerment Programme (PACEP), Rodah has spent over 30 years championing Indigenous rights, women’s leadership, and biodiversity restoration in West Pokot, Kenya and beyond.
In this episode, Rodah talks about,
🌿 How Pokot women practice conservation as part of their cultural identity.
🌿 The sacred relationship between women and their ancestral lands.
🌿 Her vision for a self-determined, biodiverse future where Indigenous knowledge is respected and rights are fully realised.
🍀 Get to know Rodah Chepkobus Rotino
Rodah Chepkobus Rotino is a seasoned social development and public policy specialist with over 30 years of experience championing indigenous rights, women’s leadership, and climate resilience in Kenya and beyond. She belongs to the indigenous Pokot community and is based in West Pokot in Kenya. She also founded the women-led organisation Pastoral Communities Empowerment Programme (PACEP) in West Pokot, empowering communities, especially women and youth, to assert their rights and restore biodiversity through ancestral knowledge. Rodah has shaped key local policies on gender and climate, revitalised traditional food systems, and advanced land management practices to address food insecurity and environmental change. She is also developing the Pokot Traditional Seasonal Calendar, a tool for cultural revitalisation, climate adaptation, and intergenerational knowledge transfer. Her leadership continues to bridge traditional wisdom and modern solutions, placing Indigenous knowledge at the heart of environmental justice and gender equity.
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