Kenya has declared that it will train 1000 Somali teachers to teach at various levels of school around the country in order to promote education.
Kenyan President William Ruto made the statement during a meeting with Somali Prime Minister Hamze Abdi Barre during the African Heads of State Summit on Human Capital in Dar-es-Salam, Tanzania.
The move is intended to benefit Somalia’s education system, which has been floundering owing to years of violence and instability. Training teachers is an important step towards increasing education standards in the country since it provides them with the required skills and knowledge to teach at all levels of education.
During the meeting, the two leaders also reaffirmed their commitment to fighting al-Shabaab militants, emphasising that they will not relent until the insurgents’ danger is gone. The presidents acknowledged that al-Shabaab insurgents had hampered attempts to restore the border between the two neighbouring countries, which is critical for the movement of commodities and services.
Kenya and Somalia have historically had a strained relationship due to border issues and the presence of al-Shabaab terrorists who have carried out assaults on both sides of the border. However, the two presidents decided to work together to develop bilateral ties and increase collaboration not just in the security sector, but also in trade and transportation.
The Prime Minister also addressed visa facilitation with President Ruto, which was agreed to be fulfilled through discussions between both sides. This is anticipated to facilitate people travel between the two nations and encourage commerce and investment.
Kenya’s training of Somali teachers is an important step towards encouraging education in Somalia, which has struggled to rebuild its education system following years of warfare and instability.
The measure is anticipated to boost links between the two nations and contribute to Kenya and Somalia’s expanding collaboration.