President Yoweri Museveni and his Kenyan counterpart Uhuru Kenyatta will on September 12, 2019 launch the joint cross border integrated programme for sustainable and socio-economic transformation aimed at helping herdsmen in Karamoja and Turkana to address issues that affect them and reduce resource-based conflict, thus improving the livelihoods of both communities on each side of the border.
The Minister for Karamoja Affairs, Eng. John Byabagambi, yesterday said in Kampala that governments of Uganda and Kenya are set to sign a memorandum of understating (MOU) in support of the programme that will be launched on September 12, 2019 in Moroto district by the two Heads of State.
The programme covers the districts in the Karamoja cluster in Uganda and Turkana and West Pokot in Kenya. The bordering regions have been affected by increasing increasingly frequent drought, underdevelopment and isolation.
The MOU is social economic opportunities on both the Ugandan and Kenyan side of the border; for instance, better cooperation, close coordination and peaceful coexistence as well as bridging isolation gaps to improve their livelihoods and conditions.
“The purpose of the Kenya-Uganda cross-border programme is to enhance Karamoja cluster to reduce resource based conflicts; cattle rustling, spillover effects of conflict and improve the livelihood of the communities of the Karamoja Cluster through cross border trade,” minister Byabagambi said.
The minister said, at a technical level, there will be a Joint Technical Steering Committee who shall provide overall technical programming. It will comprise technical line ministry officials, regional, zonal and county teams and will co-opt representatives of UN, IGAD and development partners.
According to MOU, each country will put in place a lean Programme Management Unit (PMU) consisting of the Programme Coordinator as head supported by Technical sector coordinators. A lean PMU is envisaged because the programme will use existing government structures.
Eng. Byabagambi has urged all cabinet Ministers, Members of Parliament from Karamoja, Karamoja leaders that include, Resident District Commissioners (RDCs), District Chairpersons, Security teams and the communities, especially along the border districts with Turkana and West Pokot are to take part in the signing ceremony.
Commenting on the project, Ali Abdi, Acting UN Resident Coordinator and IOM Chief of Mission, on behalf of the UN System in Uganda said that the joint programme is part of the global commitment to put people and planet first.
“The joint programme enables us to respond to national visions of the two countries, the East African Vision 2030 and the aspirations of the African Union 2063,” he said, adding that that was the second phase of a community informed joint programme which began with the signing of a MoU between Kenya and Ethiopia.
Abdi said the UN team in Uganda already invited their counterparts in Kenya to agree on division of labour. He said the UN organisations in Uganda that have agreed to participate in the programme are; Food and Agricultural Organisation, International Organisation for Migration, UNAIDS, UN Capital Development Fund, UNDP, UNWOMEN and World Food Programme.
“The United Nations Secretary General Mr. Antonio Guterres, supports this initiative and welcomes it as a good example of promoting the attainment of the 2030 Agenda and SDGs, particularly SDG 16-Peace, justice and strong institutions and SDG 17-Partnsership for the Goals,” he said.
The implementation of the programme will involve the participation of the elders, community leaders, private sector, local governments and central governments.
[…] READ MORE FROM ORIGINAL SOURCE […]