UNDP Administrator Helen Clark met with local peace committee elders in the Ethio-Kenyan border town of Moyale to commend their work and also highlight the UN’s commitment to support efforts aimed at bringing about peace and sustainable development to the cross border region. 

The UN, in partnership with the governments of Ethiopia and Kenya as well as IGAD has launched a US$ 200 million five-year cross-border Integrated Programme for Sustainable Peace and Socio-economic Transformation targeting Borana Zone, Ethiopia and Marsabit County of Kenya.

The programme was officially inaugurated back in December 20015 by Kenya’s President Uhuru Kenyatta and Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Hailemariam Dessalegn, as part of an agreement between the two countries that seeks to foster environmental protection, and promote trade, development and  peaceful coexistence in their border regions.

Ms. Helen Clark also visited the Ethio-Kenyan one stop border post in Moyale, that once finished is expected to greatly facilitate the smooth movement goods and services as well as simplifying the immigration processes between the two neighbouring countries. The enhanced border post is part of the Isiolo-Moyale-Addis Corridor cross-border road network construction. The construction is financed by the African Development Bank, which is covering the costs for the Ethiopia side as well as three quarters of the costs for the Kenya side with the remaining quarter handled by the EU. 

UNDP’s Administrator was accompanied to the border area by the UN Resident Coordinators for Ethiopia Ms. Ahunna Eziakonwa and for Kenya Mr. Siddharth Chatterjee as well as high officials from IGAD, Ethiopian embassy to Kenya, the Ambassador of Norway, officials from the Kenyan president’s office and other dignitaries.