Special Envoy for Peace in Ateker region John Munyes addressing Jukwaa la Usalama in Lodwar. [Lucas Ngasike,Standard]
When news broke that Ethiopia had agreed to build the long-awaited Nakuwa Bridge, joy swept across villages in Turkana North and Kibish along Kenya-Ethiopia border.
For decades, families in the Ateker border region have struggled with isolation, insecurity and seasonal floods of River Nakuwa that cut them off from their neighbours across the border.
The breakthrough came after a peace mission to Ethiopia led by Kenya’s Special Envoy for Peace in the Ateker region, John Munyes, in the company of Turkana North MP Sharif Nabuin.
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The envoy’s delegation met Ethiopian authorities in Addis Ababa and subsequently in Turmi to strengthen cross-border cooperation, and in the process secured a landmark pledge, the construction of a bridge that residents describe as “a lifeline of peace.”
For 62-year-old pastoralist Nakwaan Nyang’a, the bridge means more than just easier movement. It will open up the region and connect it with its neighbours. “Every rainy season, we risk our lives crossing with our goats and camels. Some drown, others are stolen when we get stuck on one side. If this bridge comes, our animals will access pasture without fear, and trade will flow freely.”Nakwaan said.
Elders on both sides of the border have welcomed the move, calling it a symbol of a new era in the Ateker region. “A bridge is not just cement and iron. It is a promise that tomorrow will be better than yesterday,” said Nyangatom elder Nabwel Moe.
Mothers, too, see hope in the promise. Akai Edapal 45, a trader in Lokwanamor, recalled how women often lose perishable goods trying to wade across the flooded river. “We have cried for many years because we cannot take our vegetables and milk to the market in Ethiopia. Sometimes we risk crossing the river with our goods and livestock. This bridge will put food on our tables. It will also link us with our neighbours during peace meetings,” Edapal said.
However, the announcement is also seen as a peace dividend flowing from the Turmi Declaration, a cross-border pact between Kenya and Ethiopia.
Analysts believe that building infrastructure in fragile zones is as crucial as security patrols, since it directly addresses the frustrations that fuel inter-communal clashes. According to Ethiopian officials, the construction of the Nakuwa Bridge to connect Ethiopia’s South Omo zone with Kenya’s Kibish region is set to start soon.
Ethiopia’s South Omo Region President Talahun Kebede confirmed that plans for the Nakuwa Bridge, along with an accompanying road network to South Sudan, have been approved.
“We want to expedite road infrastructure development, particularly construction of the Nakuwa Bridge and the road linking Ethiopia and South Sudan. Peace and stability must prevail on our borders, and both states must take responsibility,” Kebede said.
The Cabinet’s approval follows a visit from a high-level Kenyan delegation in Addis Ababa. The delegation, led by Kenya’s Special Envoy for Peace in the Ateker region, John Munyes, and Turkana North MP Sharrif Nabuin, discussed the potential benefits of the project for cross-border peace.
Munyes praised the Ethiopian federal government for its support of the project, describing the Nakuwa corridor as a vital connection for unlocking the region’s potential. “The rampant insecurity in the border regions of Kenya and Ethiopia is a significant barrier to regional progress,” he said.
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