November 1, 2025 (Moyale, Ethiopia-Kenya): The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), under the Strengthening IGAD Migration Policy Implementation (SIMPI) project, officially launched the Moyale Cross-Border Technical Working Groups on health, education, and informal women traders support platform.
The Technical Working groups are envisioned as effective cross-border platforms that bring together experts from Kenya and Ethiopia to tackle shared challenges under the IGAD Cross-Border Development Facilitation Office in Moyale. The signing of the agreements for the three groups by the respective governments marks a significant shift from ad hoc, crisis-driven actions to a formal, structured, and sustainable approach for delivering cross-border health, education, and women’s trader support services.
These efforts are supported by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) through GIZ. This milestone demonstrates the shared commitment of local authorities and the newly formed technical working groups to enhance coordinated leadership and cooperation between the two countries.
The initiative also seeks to promote cross-border cooperation by addressing systemic vulnerabilities in public health, improving capacity in education service delivery, and supporting women traders’ economic empowerment.
The long-term success of this initiative will depend on institutionalizing best practices and integrating successful protocols into the regular functions and budgets of local governments, thereby ensuring sustainability beyond external assistance. In this regard, the GIZ SIMPI project is contributing its extensive experience in establishing effective and functional local administrative structures to support IGAD’s ongoing cross-border development initiatives.
