Kenya, Ethiopia meets to operationalize the Moyale one-stop border post

MARSABIT, Kenya, Jun 8- A delegation from the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia on Tuesday met with a team of Kenya Government officials drawn from the Border Control and Operations Coordination Committee (BCOCC) and Trade Mark East Africa (TMEA) to operationalize the Moyale One Stop Border Post (OSPB).

The meeting is a follow up to the inauguration of the OSBP by President Uhuru Kenyatta and Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed on December 9, 2020.  

Speaking at the operationalization event, the BCOCC Secretary Kennedy Nyaiyo said the Moyale OSBP is a step in the right direction towards boosting legitimate trade and travel in the East Africa (EA) Region.  

“The OSBP will aid in faster movement of traffic, goods and people; easier and efficient border crossing clearance processes and procedures; and safety and security of traffic, goods and people,” Nyaiyo said.  

Government officials from both sides of the Moyale border toured facilities at the Ethiopia and Kenya OSBPs respectively.

The facilities include spacious parking for long-haul trucks, immigration and revenue collection points, among others.  

Trade between countries in the EA Region is continually being encouraged.  For instance, during the inauguration ceremony, President Kenyatta asked traders in Kenya and Ethiopia to utilize the new infrastructure including the OSBP and the 500-kilometer Hawassa-Hagere Mariam-

Moyale Road (which is part of the Trans African Highway) to boost cross border trade.  

“In addition to facilitating trade between the two countries, the border post will also enhance mutual interactions among our people and create synergy and unity of purpose,” the President said. 

The BCOCC is chaired by Interior Principal Secretary Karanja Kibicho.  Members of the committee are drawn from different government organisations including: the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA), the Kenya Coast Guard Service (KCGS), Kenya Airports Authority (KAA), National Intelligence Service (NIS), Immigration, the Kenya Bureau of Standards and the National Counter Terrorism Center (NCTC), among others.