Kenya's President Uhuru Kenyatta and his Ugandan counterpart President Yoweri Museveni witnessed the historic signing of the Memorandum of Understanding for Cross border peace and development in the Turkana-Pokot-Karamoja region along the border of the two countries. The MoU was signed by Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary Eugene Wamalwa for Devolution and Uganda’s Minister for Karamoja Affairs John Byabagambi in Moroto, Uganda. The agreement has been termed as a new dawn for the Karamoja and Pokot communities which have witnessed cattle rustling and armed conflict over resources in the past.

“Peace is the foundation of all that is good. Where there’s no peace, no development, there’s no wealth that can be made. I want to thank President Museveni for the work he has done here to ensure that this region which was a conflict zone is now a region of peace,” President Kenyatta said.

President Museveni said the partnership will open up development in the region noting that his government had initiated disarmament programmes in Karamoja district that had rid the region of illicit arms and ended perennial conflict towards to create “an Africa without borders”.

The Kenya and Uganda Cross Boarder Programme is a joint initiative of the 2 Governments, with support from the United Nations Country Teams and managed by UNDP to accord communities on the border, opportunities for better co-operation, close coordination and peaceful co-existence.  Targeted communities are the Turkana and  West Pokot of Kenya and Karamoja in Uganda in a bid to improve their livelihoods and socioeconomic conditions for sustainable peace and development

“The United Nations believes that the potential of the regions hinges on peace, stability and the ability to manage the impact of climate change, cattle rustling and the prevalence of weapons which are accentuating the vulnerability of these groups of people" said Siddharth Chatterjee, the UN in Kenya Resident Representative

With peace, stability and the ability to manage the impact of climate change, the region has great opportunities for development in these cross-border areas, including prospects for increased livestock and agriculture as well as, trade, major infrastructure investments, enhanced tourism, mineral exploration and renewable energy such as solar and wind power.

The initiative draws on the success of the Kenya - Ethiopia Cross-Border program that was signed in 2015, and is implemented by the two UN Country Teams under the leadership of UNDP in support of the Governments of Kenya and Ethiopia.  The program will also complement IGAD’s Regional Integrated and Comprehensive Development Plan for the Karamoja Cluster.