Kigali, 8 January 2025

The  Defence Cooperation Cluster's Technical Committee of the Northern Corridor Integration Projects (NCIPs) convened today in Kigali, Rwanda, bringing together representatives from Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda to coordinate and strengthen defence cooperation among NCIP member states.

The three-day meeting was officiated by Brigadier General Patrick Karuretwa, Director General of International Military Cooperation in the Ministry of Defence. He encouraged participants to develop updated and useful documents. “I urge you to produce refined documents that address past discrepencies” Brig Gen Karuretwa said.

Discussions will focus on mechanisms for the occasion of the mutual defence pact, coordinating foreign affairs, defence, peace, and security policies, and mechanisms for comprehensive conflict prevention, management, and resolution.

Lt Col Francis Odhiambo Walwa from Kenya’s Defence Headquarters underscored the Northern Corridor's role in enhancing mutual defence cooperation to promote peace and strengthen good neighborly relations among partner states. He further highlighted the critical importance of security as a cornerstone for driving economic growth in the region.

The Northern Corridor is a regional development initiative established in 2013 during the inaugural Infrastructure Summit of the Heads of State of Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda later the Republic of South Sudan became a full member of the NCIP in 2018. Its goal was to accelerate regional growth by fostering collaboration in infrastructure, trade, and political cooperation to promote deeper regional integration.