This archive report was first published on 13 September 2019.
On Thursday, September 13, 2019, Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta and Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni witnessed the signing of an agreement aimed at promoting sustainable peace and development among Turkana, Pokot, and Karamojong communities.
The programme, dubbed Cross-Border Sustainable Peace and Development, seeks to end hostilities among the three neighboring communities and enhance development in the region by promoting non-violent interactions and collaborations.
The UN-supported intervention will be led by a ministerial committee co-chaired by Kenya and Uganda, with the goal of reducing tensions resulting from access to shared resources such as water and pasture.
Speaking during the launch ceremony in Moroto town, President Kenyatta welcomed the agreement, saying it will help spur development in the region, which has suffered from unnecessary communal conflicts for many years.
President Kenyatta emphasized the importance of peace and development, stating, 'Peace is the foundation of all that is good. Where there's no peace, no development, there's no wealth that can be made.'
He also called for free movement of people, goods, and services across borders of African countries, saying the continent cannot develop without free trade.
The President noted that wealth creation is key to fighting poverty in the region, and that the peace and development programme will assist in transforming the border region from a conflict zone to an area of progress, development, and wealth.
Earlier, the two leaders commissioned the 2.3 million cubic litres Kebebe dam, a community water point constructed by the Ugandan government at a cost of 2.5 million US dollars.
