Reopening Kenya-Somalia border suspended as terrorism surges

Interior CS Kithure Kindiki has announced the planned re-opening of the Kenya-Somalia border at Garissa has been delayed due to the recent surge in terrorism.

He said the state was prioritising national security above any other consideration and it was necessary to arrest rising cross-border crimes. 

"The government will delay the planned reopening of Kenya-Somalia border points until we conclusively deal with the recent spate of terror attacks and cross-border crime," he said during a visit to Garissa.

Northeastern region and parts of the Coast have been experiencing increased terror attacks by al Shabaab, which has launched deadly raids, torching property, even beheading people.

Shabaab has planted IEDs on the roads and raided villages.

The state had announced reopening of the border in May after extensive consultations between Kindiki and Somalia's security minister.

The opening reversed the closure policy enacted in 2011 after militants infiltrated Kenya and staged numerous attacks.

On Tuesday, the CS met elite security teams in the region to boost their morale and assure them of more government support to enable them to work more efficiently.

He said the state was procuring more sophisticated weapons and artillery to help them to defend  themselves and forestall attacks.

"...we are at an advanced stage in procuring Mine-resistant ambush-protected vehicles  (MRAPS), APCs, night vision equipment and other sophisticated equipment for our  security officers. As a government, under the leadership of President William Ruto, we are convinced that it is a worthy investment to secure our country..." he said.

"...with the modernisation of security equipment, political goodwill from the President, the commitment of our security officers and partnership with religious and community leaders",  we will prevail, he said.

He said part of the strategy to prevent terrorism from spreading is to partner with communities in intelligence gathering and swiftly analyse and act on quality information.

"...we will upscale our partnership with the local communities to flush out the criminal elements and violent extremists. Community-led strategies will be a key ingredient in combating the threat of terror."

At the same time, Kindiki announced that management of refugees in the country will be centralised, promising a humane face of the state towards them.

Kindiki said on Wednesday that hostility against refugees by state agents would be a thing of the past because "99.99 per cent of refugees in the country are law abiding.

"We will do our best to help them. However, there are a few criminal elements who will not be allowed to hurt the interests of bona fide refugees and the host communities..." the CS said.

He said the government had reformed the refugee management regime to ensure refugees' quick processing, adequate accommodation and support to integrate with local life. 

"Kenya adopted an updated and improved the Refugee Act, 2022. The Government will neither roll back nor backtrack on implementation of the Refugee Act 2022 and all its obligations as a signatory to international treaties," Kindiki said.

He said that in the coming weeks, a policy shift will be implemented to obtain proper funding and more meaningful government involvement in helping refugees access better services.

"...we are announcing a policy shift on management of the refugees' database. Going forward, it will be the responsibility of the Government of Kenya to manage and administer the database of all refugees."

He went on, "Even as we provide greater protection and compliance with international treaties, we are aware t there are a few people misusing the noble space of refugees protection to hurt our national security through terrorism..."

A section of refugees in Kakuma camp have been complaining of neglect, with their leaders appealing for more infrastructural development around the camps to enable them move easily and access service.