Kenya, Ethiopia athletics rivalry plays out at Mashujaa Day

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Kenya and Ethiopia should transform their fierce athletics rivalry into a catalyst for economic growth and regional integration, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has said.

Addressing Kenyans at Mashujaa Day celebrations in Eldoret, a town dubbed ‘The City of Champions,’ Abiy said the two neighbours had demonstrated through athletics that competition and cooperation could go hand in hand.

“Our athletes have run side by side. Sometimes Kenya wins, sometimes Ethiopia takes the crown. We race as rivals and build together as partners,” he said.

The Ethiopian leader challenged the two countries to extend this spirit beyond the track and strengthen cooperation in infrastructure, energy, trade and technology to improve the livelihoods of their people.

Abiy pointed to connectivity and financial technology as examples of the links between the two countries, citing the road network connecting Mombasa to Ethiopia and the role of Safaricom and M-Pesa in connecting people and facilitating money transfers.

His remarks came against the backdrop of growing bilateral cooperation, characterised by joint projects aimed at easing cross-border trade, improving transport connectivity, and expanding access to electricity.

The PM, who was the chief guest in the celebrations, asked citizens of both countries to travel more frequently across their shared border to deepen cultural ties and discover new economic opportunities.

“Let more of our people visit each other’s countries and discover new things and do trade,” he said.

He commended Kenya’s leadership for its efforts towards a more prosperous nation, saying the responsibility of the two countries was to ensure that the freedoms won through past struggles translated into tangible benefits for their citizens.

“African freedom was not given, but was delivered by people who did not want to give away their dignity,” he said.

Ahmed paid tribute to Kenya’s freedom fighters, noting that the task of nation-building now rested with modern-day heroes, including teachers, health workers and athletes.

“In this city of champions, you know what it takes to win. It takes courage to protect a nation,” he said.

Among the Kenya-Ethiopia bilateral projects is a 1,045-kilometre interconnector running from Wolayta-Sodo in Ethiopia to Suswa in Kenya.

Ahmed said the next task was to build on such partnerships and ensure that cooperation translated into better lives for citizens. “Our task is to make freedom count,” he said.

Transport connectivity has also been a key area of cooperation. In December 2020, former President Uhuru Kenyatta and Ahmed inaugurated the Moyale One-Stop Border Post, along with the 500-kilometre-long Hawassa-Hagere Mariam-Moyale road on the Ethiopian side.

The facilities form part of the Mombasa-Nairobi-Addis Ababa transport corridor and are intended to ease the movement of people and goods while reducing delays in cross-border trade.

The two countries are also pursuing the Horn of Africa Gateway Development Project, which seeks to improve infrastructure and trade links in underserved border areas.

In June 2025, officials from the two governments agreed to advance plans for bridges across River Dawa at Rhamu and Suftu, a one-stop border post at Rhamu and a trade facilitation centre at Suftu. The initiative also includes plans to complete cross-border fibre-optic connectivity and improve access to digital services.

The proposed infrastructure is expected to help communities access markets, healthcare and education while improving the movement of goods and people.

In February 2024, Kenya and Ethiopia also signed seven memoranda of understanding covering areas including tourism, culture, wildlife, energy, the blue economy, and public service capacity building. The agreements were aimed at expanding bilateral cooperation, trade and investment.