The government will establish Border Patrol Operation Bases in Suam, Lwakhakha and Busia alongside the existing security interventions to detect and deter illegal entries and cross-border crimes along the Kenya-Uganda border.
Officials said forged documents and drug trafficking usually form the largest share of the cross-border crimes managed at the border points in Suam, Malaba and Busia.
Internal Security Principal Secretary Raymond Omollo said Trans Nzoia, Bungoma and Busia were target counties for border security in the Western region and along the Kenya and Uganda border.
Deputy President Kithure Kindiki and Omollo visited the Suam border point and announced that the government is upgrading Suam Point of Entry/ Exit to a modern One Stop Border Post (OSBP) to facilitate trade, regional integration and people-to-people ties.
Kindiki said this will also enable border management officers from both countries to share space for quicker clearance of human and vehicle traffic.
They were in the area to assess the progress of the works and follow up on the implementation of the Presidential directives issued earlier for the expeditious completion of the Kenya side of the OSBP to give way for the completion of the OSBP facilities and the expansion of the 45-kilometre road from Suam to Kitale.
On his part, Omollo singled out forgery of travel documents as the country’s biggest cross-border security concern.
“Drug seizures including heroin, cannabis and cocaine follow while counterfeits and contrabands including sugar, maize, alcohol, ethanol and pharmaceutical drugs also form the confiscations made by border control authorities,” Omollo said.
Last year, fake passports and identification documents accounted for 40 per cent of the crimes apprehended at the border points in Suam, Malaba and Busia.
This, among other issues, prompted the measures put in place to protect Kenya’s reputation and defend the integrity of its immigration policies.
Seizures of narcotics accounted for about 21 per cent of the criminal cases recorded during the same period.
He said a number of internal security interventions had been put in place including the implementation of a Multi-agency approach with agencies under the Border Control and Coordination Operations Committee (BCOCC) enhancing collaboration.
The agencies are also leveraging cooperation between border control authorities to strengthen the ability to curb cross-border crime and enhance border security.
The government is also constructing One Stop Border Posts (OSBOs) supported by the upgrade of the 45-kilometre Kitale-Endebess-Suam road at a cost of Sh4.9 billion.
This is to facilitate integrated border management and foster legitimate trade, road transport and linkages between Kenya, Uganda, South Sudan and the DRC.
“Busia and Malaba have functional OSBPs while the progress of works on the Suam OSBP is at 94 percent,” the PS said.
He added that following the deployment of police and General Service Unit (GSU) officers along the 57-kilometre stretch on the Busia and Uganda border, at least 200 illegal routes were closed in Busia.
To further boost security in the region, there are joint patrols between security agencies including the GSU, Kenya Defence Forces and General Duty police officers who conduct surveillance and reconnaissance along border entry points.
Vehicle checkpoints for passenger and freight vehicles along major road corridors have also been enhanced and there are plans to revamp Joint Border Commissioners/Administrators meetings between Kenya and Uganda.
This is to enhance cross-border cooperation in curbing small arms, illegal migrations and natural resource-based conflicts among border communities.
Omollo said there is also deployment of Liaison Officers from both Kenya and Uganda to strengthen information exchange.
PS Omollo has however said the government is committed to facilitating smooth and secure movement of people and goods across Kenya’s borders, in an effort to open more opportunities for legitimate economic activities for people in the East African region.
“We should be having flawless movement,” he said.
