MANDERA Governor Mohamed Khalif has lauded the Intergovernmental Authority on Development for solidifying seamless integration and development among member states.
He spoke in Mandera town when he hosted a joint
Kenya-Ethiopia delegation that was on a four-day technical assessment of the
proposed Suftu and Malka Ladeni bridges, which connect Mandera town to
Ethiopia.
"The project implementation will enhance
infrastructural connectivity and socio-economic development between Ethiopia
and Kenya," the governor said.
He assured the delegation that his administration and the
residents of Mandera were fully committed to providing the necessary support to
accelerate the implementation of the project.
“My administration remains fully committed to
providing the necessary support to accelerate the implementation of the
project. I would like to express my immense appreciation to Igad for its
instrumental role in solidifying seamless integration and development among
member states,” he said.
The team conducted site visits to the proposed bridges
and one-stop border points in Mandera (Malka Suftu) and Rhamu, which are
critical components of the Horn of Africa Gateway Development Project.
The delegation led by the Igad head of mission to Kenya, Dr
Fatuma Adan, included officials from KeNHA, Kenya Revenue Authority,
Information and Communication Technology Authority, North and North Eastern
Development Initiative, Mandera County officials and the Ministry of
Interior.
Their Ethiopian counterparts were led by the Igad head
of mission to Ethiopia, Abebaw Belachew, officials from the Ethiopia
National Roads Authority, the Ethiopia Revenue Authority and representatives
from the Ethiopia Somali region.
Belachew said the joint consensus on the identification
of the project site was, in itself, an achievement towards the construction of
the proposed Suftu bridge.
"In two years, we expect to see the project
completed and vehicles transporting people and goods. We need to get rid of
these boats and rafts that endanger people's lives. It will be history that
people used to move between the two countries using boats."
The site visit followed bilateral engagement between
the two countries, convened under the auspices of Igad on June 5 in Addis
Ababa, Ethiopia.
The meeting emphasised the critical importance of
strengthening multilateral responses to cross-border connectivity challenges
confronting the Horn of Africa. It was conducted within Igad's Vision 2050 and
the African Continental Free Trade Area, ensuring alignment between
national infrastructure priorities and regional integration objectives.
Salah Maalim, the Mandera executive for lands, housing, physical planning and urban development, said the project is more than just infrastructure; it is trust,
stability, and a shared future between Kenya and Ethiopia.
"The anticipated economic gains, coupled with
regional peace dividends, could reshape the narrative of the
Kenya-Ethiopia-Somalia tri-border zone from fragility to resilience," he said.
The county executive observed that the traffic
transition tunnel, which shifts traffic from Kenya's right-hand system to
Ethiopia's left-hand flow, was a nod to regional integration.
He said that alongside the bridges, the one-stop
border posts and fibre optic installations will drastically cut travel and
trade time, enabling efficient cross-border processes, improving digital
infrastructure, and creating jobs in one of the most remote corners of East
Africa.
