President Yoweri\nMuseveni and his Kenya counterpart, Uhuru Kenyatta, have signed a joint Memorandum\nof Understanding (MoU) to strengthen cross-border cooperation between Kenya and\nUganda. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The two leaders also\nwitnessed the signing of a joint Memorandum of Understanding between the two\ngovernments to ensure cross-border programme for sustainable peace and socio-economic\ntransformation among the pastoralist communities of the Karimojong of Uganda the\nTurkana and West Pokot of Kenya. Uganda\u2019s Minister for Karamoja Affairs, John\nByabagambi and Kenya\u2019s Cabinet Secretary for Devolution, Eugene Wamalwa signed\nfor their respective governments. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The ceremonies took\nplace today at Naitakwae Grounds near Moroto Municipality in Moroto District.\nThe Prime objectives of the arrangements is for the pastoralist communities in Uganda\nand Kenya to increase non-violent inter-ethnic interactions and collaborations,\nreduce tensions and competition over access to resources such as water and\npasture, eliminate illegal flow of small arms and light weapons to the region\nand to increase cross border trade and investment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Other objectives\ninclude improving livelihoods, food security, nutrition and support for basic\nsocial services, improvement of infrastructure to facilitate cross- border\nmovement of persons and animals, among others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Addressing public\nrally after the ceremonies, President Museveni said that when the National\nResistance Movement (NRM) took power in 1986, Karamoja Sub-Region\u2019s hindrances\nto development were insecurity arising out of gun misuse, lack of water for\nboth people and animals> He, however, noted that the institution of Karamoja\nDevelopment Agency (KDA) and the disarmament enforcement by NRM made peace to prevail\nin the area. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDisarmament, alongside national immunisation campaign, led to population growth that has encouraged government to steer development in the region,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
He stressed the need for government to mobilise for investment and industrialisation in Karamoja saying that the area is rich in natural resources such as limestone (300 million tonnes) for cement and marble production, fruit processing, leather tanning, meat processing, honey production, gold mining and tourism. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
He advised the people of Karamoja to utilise communal water in the valley dams that the government has put in place to keep and preserve more indigenous animal breeds and carry out irrigation to produce more crops and fruits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mr. Museveni thanked President Uhuru for his input in the struggle for the unification of African states. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
He also commended United Nations agencies like the World Food Programme (WFP) for the advocacy for food relief and roads\u2019 construction connecting Kenya and Uganda. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
He, however, appealed to UN bodies for resources for building a road connecting Uganda, Kenya and Ethiopia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
President Uhuru Kenyatta of Kenya,on his part, thanked his host for the tremendous contribution to regional socio-economic and political development. He castigated colonialism for dividing the people of Africa using artificial borderlines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cLet\u2019s now enforce free movement of people and goods in our sister countries. It\u2019s where prosperity comes from. Africa is ours and for us Africans,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
President Uhuru\nKenyatta cautioned people in the region that if they do not trade and move\nfreely, they cannot create wealth and prosperity noting that inactivity in\nembracing trade and free movement would only lead to the institutionalization\nof poverty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On behalf of the\nUnited Nations Secretary General, the UN Country Resident Coordinator in Uganda\nRosa Malango noted that the joint effort for the just launched programme\nprogramme, spells a historical day for Kenya and Uganda. Ms Malango. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The UN Country Resident Coordinators of Uganda and Kenya, along with the UNDP Resident Representatives in both countries handed over communications gadgets to peace committees to enable the committees monitor the implementing of the programme. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Karamoja Affairs Minister, John Byabagambi, thanked the 2 Presidents for their commitment to the welfare of people. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
He also commended the UNDP programme coordinators in Uganda and Kenya for the US$950,000 to the programme. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Governors of West Pokot and Turkana were praised for mobilizing their communities to foster peace and harmony; as Moroto District Chairperson, Napaja Andrew Keem, lauded Presidents Museveni and Uhuru Kenyatta for the realization of the programme in so short a time. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
President Yoweri Museveni and his Kenya counterpart, Uhuru Kenyatta, have signed a joint Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen cross-border cooperation between Kenya and Uganda. The two leaders also witnessed the signing of a joint Memorandum of Understanding between the two governments to ensure cross-border programme for sustainable peace and socio-economic transformation among the pastoralist […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":27983,"featured_media":11237,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jnews-multi-image_gallery":[],"jnews_single_post":[],"jnews_primary_category":[],"jnews_paywall_metabox":[],"jnews_override_counter":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[98],"tags":[31],"class_list":["post-11236","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-featured"],"yoast_head":"\n