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Kenya, Uganda to Co-Operate in Fighting Terrorism

The East African Standard (Nairobi)
NEWS
May 22, 2003
Posted to the web May 22, 2003

By Patrick Wachira
Nairobi
The Kenya and Uganda governments have agreed to co-operate more in security
matters in view of the threat posed by international terrorism.
In a joint communiqué issued at the end of a two-day inter-ministerial meeting
at the Hilton Hotel in Nairobi, the delegations agreed to enhance the
collaborative measures already in place. They did not elaborate.
Kenya has twice been the target of terrrorist attacks, first in 1998 when the
American Embassy was bombed, with hundreds killed and later in Kilifi at a
Kikambala tourist resort where 12 people died in the attack targetting Israeli
interests.
The two delegations also expressed concern over the proliferation of small arms
and light weapons along their borders which they said had increased the menace
of cattle rustling among Karamojong, Pokot, Turkana and Toposa communities.
The two states have agreed to carry out a joint disarmament exercise and
further, focus on the socio-economic development of the areas affected by
cattle rustling.
The leader of the Kenyan delegation, Dr Chris Murungaru, who is in charge of
internal security, said north-eastern Uganda and north western Kenya were rife
with "active warriors who tended to go overboard with sophisticated weapons".
Murungaru said a committee will be established by the Kenyan Government to meet
with their Ugandan counterparts to carry out the disarmament exercise in the
affected areas.
He said the issue of work permits will be addressed by the Kenyan government
for Ugandans seeking to work in the country. He was responding to questions by
the Ugandan members.
The Ugandan delegation was led by Eriya Kategara, First Deputy Prime Minister
and Minister for Internal Affairs and comprised senior government officials as
well as Cabinet Ministers.
The meeting, also attended by revenue bosses from the two states as well as
their respective police chiefs, started on Tuesday and ended yesterday.
The two delegations agreed to remove all obstacles to facilitate the smooth
flow of cargo along the Northern Corridor as well as through the port of
Mombasa. Barriers to trade and investment will also be removed, they resolved.
They also agreed to work together in the expansion of power generation
including the Bujagali Project and the extension of the Eldoret-Kampala oil
pipeline.
It was also resolved that the two states work together and share experiences in
geothermal power generation.
The two delegations also agreed that matters relating to the East African
Compensation Fund be negotiated further after the respective budgets for the
two states next month.
They reviewed bilateral co-operation in trade, infrastructure development,
energy, the Lake Victoria Development Programme and Regional Co-operation.
The Ugandan delegation was in the country at the invitation of the Government
and was hosted to a luncheon by President Mwai Kibaki during their visit.

   

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