Ruto to reopen Kenya-Somalia border in April after 15 years

President Willima Ruto with his deputy Kithure Kindiki in Mandera on Thursday, during  the disbursement of Sh63 million in NYOTA Business Start-Up Capital to 2,520 beneficiaries. [PCS]

President William Ruto will officiate the reopening of the Kenya-Somalia border in April, ending a 15-year closure imposed during the Al-Shabaab insurgency.

Speaking at Mandera Stadium on Thursday during the NYOTA Capital Disbursement event, Ruto said the government will double police deployment to secure the border  while allowing cross-border trade to resume.

"We cannot trade with closed borders. For that reason, I will be returning here in April to officially open the border post linking Kenya and Somalia," Ruto said.

The President warned insurgents that security forces would deal with them decisively while giving traders freedom to operate.

"We will deploy adequate security to ensure that criminals and insurgent groups do not infiltrate, while giving traders from both regions the freedom to operate. Leave the insurgents to us; we will deal with them," noted Ruto.

The border was officially closed in October 2011 under then-President Mwai Kibaki following sustained Al-Shabaab attacks.

The militant group has waged a 15-year insurgency against Somalia's federal government in Mogadishu.

Ruto urged Mandera residents and regional leaders to provide timely intelligence to help dismantle Al-Shabaab networks that might exploit the border reopening.

This marks the second attempt to reopen the border.

In July 2022, Kenya and Somalia announced plans to reopen it during talks between then-President Uhuru Kenyatta and Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, but the plans collapsed.

A fresh attempt in 2023 to reopen the border in phases was suspended in July that year following a surge in Al-Shabaab activities.

On February 6, Interior Principal Secretary Raymond Omollo announced the National Security Council Committee had ratified the border reopening for miraa trade through designated points, including Mandera, Liboi and Kiunga.

The announcement followed a petition from the Nyambene Miraa Trade Association Chairman seeking access to the border for miraa farmers and traders.