BY STAFF WRITER
Mandera County lies at Kenya’s farthest northern edge, often framed through the language of distance, drought, and dependency.
Yet beneath this familiar narrative, a different story is quietly unfolding — one that repositions the county not as a forgotten frontier, but as a border economy sitting at the centre of untapped opportunity.
That reframing took centre stage during a Chanuka Jipange na Business Opportunities training held in Mandera this week.
The engagement brought together more than 300 micro and small enterprise (MSME) owners, community members, and local leaders to interrogate one fundamental question: How can Mandera move from dependency to value creation?
And beyond that, what would it take to transform a small border town into a first-world county?
The training, sponsored and facilitated by 20X Entrepreneur, forms part of a broader national initiative aimed at equipping MSMEs with the mindset, skills, and strategic awareness required to participate meaningfully in Kenya’s evolving economy.
Inside the training hall, the conversation quickly shifted from limitations to location.
Mandera’s geographical position — bordering Ethiopia and lying close to Somalia — was repeatedly emphasized as a strategic economic asset rather than a disadvantage.
“Mandera is a border town. Borders are not just about security; they are toggle points for trade. Where there is population — even a small one — there is capital. The question is whether we see people as dependents or as customers,” said Mohamed Haji, one of the key speakers.
Cross-border trade flows from Ethiopia into Mandera are already active, with livestock remaining the county’s dominant economic pillar.
However, much of this trade operates informally — fragmented, low-value, and poorly structured — limiting the benefits that accrue to local entrepreneurs.
A recurring theme throughout the discussions was Mandera’s heavy reliance on aid, relief food, and government cash transfers.
While acknowledging the role of social protection, facilitators challenged participants to confront its long-term implications.
“Mandera has become highly dependent on aid and government cash transfers. The critical question is how we transition from dependency to value addition — how we move from waiting for support to building businesses that generate income, dignity, and resilience,” added Haji.
Adding a visionary perspective, Eunice Mburu, CEO of 20X Entrepreneur, told participants: “Mandera has everything it needs to create its own wealth. Borders are not barriers; they are opportunities waiting for those ready to add value, innovate, and take charge of their future.”
Participants were encouraged to explore opportunities in livestock value chains, cross-border trade logistics, agro-processing along riverine areas, and small-scale manufacturing — sectors where Mandera already holds natural and geographic advantages.
Beyond the training venue, the landscape itself reinforced the message.
Along the Daawa River, which forms the natural boundary between Kenya and Ethiopia, active irrigation and farming were visible, challenging the long-held perception of Mandera as barren and unproductive.
“There is water. There is farming. There is movement of goods. The issue is not absence of opportunity, but absence of systems — systems for organization, value addition, and market access,” noted Dhallow Mohamed.
The presence of arable land along the river raises critical questions about irrigation investment, food production, and agro-enterprise development in a county still largely associated with pastoralism.
The engagement also exposed information gaps and trust deficits. While local administrators spoke about national programmes such as the Social Health Authority (SHA) and youth and enterprise funds, many participants expressed scepticism, citing low approval rates and limited access.
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“There is a trust gap. People feel these programmes exist on paper, but not in their lived reality,” said Ali Musa Mohamed, a participant.
Gender dynamics were also evident. Women form a substantial part of Mandera’s informal economy but remain largely unheard in mixed forums.
“Women are already working. The task is to give structure, voice, and pathways to scale what they are already doing,” a facilitator observed.
Ultimately, the Mandera engagement underscored a broader national lesson: development models designed for urban or central regions cannot be replicated wholesale in border and pastoralist counties.
Mr. Haji observed that national transformation cannot be imagined from boardrooms alone. “It must be understood by walking the land, listening to the people, and designing solutions that respect context,” he said.
As Kenya advances its Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda, Mandera’s experience raises a defining question for policymakers, development actors, and entrepreneurs alike: What would a first-world Mandera look like — and what will it take to build it?
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