Duale asks Ruto to reopen Somalia border, expedite Garissa-Liboi project

by STEPHEN ASTARIKOWednesday June 3, 2026

Health CS Aden Duale addressing residents of Maalimin, ladgera sub county./STEPHEN ASTARIKO

Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale has urged President William Ruto to reopen the Kenya-Somalia border and accelerate the tarmacking of the Garissa-Liboi road, arguing that both steps would unlock the economic promise of North Eastern Kenya.

Speaking in Maalim Sub-County at the launch of a Mini-Grid project, Duale took the opportunity to deliver what he called a special appeal on behalf of residents across the region.

The CS, who was accompanying President Ruto on an official development tour, commended the Head of State for continued investment in infrastructure, energy, education and security, saying the government had shown clear intent to transform an area long regarded as marginalised.

“Your Excellency, the people of Northeastern are grateful for the many projects your government has delivered since you took office. You have proven to be the region’s savior and a leader who keeps his promises. Today, I humbly request that you consider reopening the Kenya-Somalia border and prioritizing the tarmacking of the Garissa-Liboi road,” Duale said.

He said reopening the frontier would breathe new life into the economies of Garissa and the broader North Eastern region by restoring livelihoods, expanding trade and generating jobs for thousands of people who depend on cross-border business.

The Kenya-Somalia border was shut during a period of heightened insecurity tied to the Al-Shabaab militant group after Kenya sent troops into Somalia. The decision was intended to restrict the movement of militants and illegal goods, but it also severed trade links and social relations between communities on both sides.

Attempts to reopen the border in 2023 were later abandoned after a fresh wave of terrorist attacks, underscoring the security concerns that continue to dog the region.

For years, leaders, traders and residents in North Eastern Kenya have campaigned for the reopening of the border, saying that the return of formal trade routes would open up economic opportunities and raise living standards.

Duale said reopening the border would do more than increase commerce between Kenya and Somalia; it would also deepen regional integration and strengthen government control of cross-border movement through regulated entry and exit points.

The CS also pressed for urgent upgrading of the 160-kilometre Garissa-Liboi road, a vital transport corridor connecting Kenya and Somalia.

The route is central to trade, security operations and humanitarian work, yet it has long been associated with insecurity, with Al-Shabaab militants and their sympathisers often taking advantage of its poor condition to mount attacks and plant improvised explosive devices.

At times, the threat has forced police officers and officials from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to avoid the road and instead use the longer Modogashe-Garissa route, which is fully tarmacked and regarded as safer.

Duale said tarmacking the road would improve transport and trade while also strengthening security by allowing quicker deployment of security personnel and reducing the risk of ambushes.

“The tarmacking of the Garissa-Liboi road will transform this region economically and significantly improve security. It is a project whose time has come,” he said.

The call comes as President Ruto’s administration continues to push development projects across North Eastern Kenya, with local leaders hopeful that the long-running questions of border reopening and road infrastructure will finally be resolved.