Government teams up with five donors to boost stability in border counties

Erick Kyalo-KNA

The National Government, in collaboration with development partners and the northern frontier counties, is addressing insecurity and development challenges faced in the North-eastern region.

The collaboration also aims to unlock the economic potential of these counties and their borderlands.

It is collaborating with the United Kingdom (UK), United States (US), European Union (EU), World Bank (WB) and United Nations (UN) in the initiative.

According to the five development partners, the border counties in the North-eastern are of high importance because of their location, untapped resources, and their key role in ensuring regional stability.

Among the key issues to be prioritized include peace and security. There have been integrated approaches to address extremism, inter-communal conflict, and community trust in public institutions.

Other issues include climate resilience and drought response programmes, gender disparities in access to leadership, education, and economic opportunities by women through inclusion, empowerment and strengthening service delivery, investment and capacity at county levels.

Speaking during a press briefing at the Garissa county headquarters, the UN Resident Coordinator Stephen Jackson said the partners are working to bring the two sides of the equation together; undertaking development investment and helping boost security for sustainable development in the region.

“This is a zone of enormous potential, whether one is thinking of livestock, or agriculture or value chains that come from both of those or renewable energy or mining, there is so much potential that can be realized in this region,” Jackson said.

“Between 2017 and this year, we have collectively invested Sh188 billion in the region which is a substantial amount of investment. What we want to do is to see how we can maximize this kind of support and how we work better together and realize synergy and opportunities,” he added.

The North-eastern region has for a long time faced security and development challenges occasioned by al-Shabaab terrorists, blocking economic growth and compounding inequality.

North-eastern Regional Commissioner John Otieno said the government has put measures in place to keep the region safe by conducting intelligence-led operations to thwart any criminal activities.

Otieno said development programmes targeting women and youth will empower them and keep the young people from violence extremism and radicalization. 

“Development and security goes hand in hand and that is why we have to work together with all the partners to make sure that we realize peace and security in this region so that we can exploit the region’s potential,” Otieno said.

“We are focusing on empowering the youth and women so that they can participate effectively in development activities,” he added.

Envoys in the delegation were the EU ambassador to Kenya Henriette Geiger, British High Commissioner Neil Wigan, US Charge d’affaires Marc Dillard, World Food Programme (WFP) Country Director Lauren Landis, and cross border advisor Mohamoud Haji among others.