His Excellency President Uhuru Kenyatta and Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed today inaugurated the Moyale One-Stop Border Post (OSBP).
The 500-kilometer Hawassa-Hagere Mariam-Moyale Road which is part of the Trans African Highway and a key segment of Mombasa-Nairobi-Addis Ababa transport corridor was also inaugurated today.
Speaking to the Moyale residents, the two leaders said the new infrastructure will help enhance regional economic integration so Moyale residents should take advantage of the facilities especially the OSBP to grow cross-border trade.
The president said that with the completion of the border post the two countries have demonstrated political good will to address the challenges and impediments facing business communities from both side.
“In addition to facilitate trade between the two countries the border post will also enhance mutual interaction among our people and create synergy as well as unity of purpose,” said Kenyatta.
The president urged the business community from both sides to capitalise on this potential by taking advantage of the infrastructure being developed to enhance trade and investments.
“We want to see Moyale becoming the Dubai of this whole region, people coming here to buy goods and taking them to other countries. That is the beginning of true partnership, true cooperation,” the President said.
He added that the Kenyan government is ready to work with Ethiopia government in developing mechanisms towards the elimination of trade barriers in the view of making the two countries more competitive and promoting bilateral trade and investments.
The Ethopia Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said that the new infrastructure will bring the two families which is living in the two countries to tap untapped potential opportunities on business and economy.
“So this is one of the key milestone of the two countries to exchange experiences, investments, trade and tourism. I hope this will continue to our other neighbours to intergrate the whole East Africa as one family,” he said.
He urged the two government to also work on peace and security of this area since its the foundation of what we are aspiring to transform the life of people within the two countries.
Other projects that will be inaugurated during the tour are the 500km Hawasa-Moyale Road on the Ethiopian side and the 503km Isiolo-Moyale Road on the Kenyan side, which are part of the Trans-African Highway that runs from Mombasa-Nairobi to Addis Ababa Road Corridor. The project is financed by the African Development Bank.
President Kenyatta and PM Abiy were welcomed to the county by Marsabit Governor Mohamud Ali and Treasury CS Ukur Yatani.
Treasury CS Ukur Yatani and Marsabit Governor Mohamed Mohamud Ali also spoke at the meeting on the Kenyan side of the border, attended by Cabinet Secretaries John Munyes (Petroleum), Adan Mohammed (East African Community) and Amb Raychelle Omamo (Foreign Affairs) among other senior Ethiopian and Kenyan Government officials.
By Joy Kyalo