By Michelle Ndaga
Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Planning and Corporate Affairs (FCPA) Hon. John Mbadi on Tuesday held talks with Mr. Liban Obsiye, Head of the Horn of Africa Initiative (HoAI), and his delegation to review progress on ongoing regional programmes.
The Horn of Africa Initiative, launched in 2019, brings together Djibouti, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Kenya, South Sudan, Somalia and Sudan to advance regional economic integration as a pathway to peace, stability and sustainable development.
Development partners, including the World Bank, African Development Bank (AfDB), KfW, the UK’s FCDO and the European Union, have collectively committed more than USD 8 billion to infrastructure, trade, resilience and human capital projects across the region.
In 2023, the HoAI adopted its 2024–2028 Borderlands Roadmap, focusing on cross-border infrastructure, human capital development, resilience, trade, mobility and planning. The framework complements Kenya’s investments in counties along its borderlands such as Garissa, Mandera, Marsabit, Turkana and Wajir.
Key flagship projects under the initiative include the Horn of Africa Gateway Development Project, the Kenya–South Sudan Link Road (Kitale–Morpus), the Eastern Africa Regional Digital Integration Project, DRIVE for pastoral economies, and the FLOCCA programme.
CS Mbadi lauded the initiative for accelerating the development of historically marginalised border regions, noting its role in improving livelihoods and fostering long-term stability. He reaffirmed Kenya’s strong commitment to supporting HoAI both now and in the years ahead.
