Kenya-Somalia border to reopen soon, CS Duale says

by STEPHEN ASTARIKOMonday May 4, 2026

Health CS Aden Duale speaking at the event./STEPHEN ASTARIKO

Health CS Aden Duale has stepped up pressure for the reopening of the Kenya–Somalia border, saying the decades-old closure is largely a formality that deprives the government of revenue and weakens oversight.

Addressing guests at a graduation ceremony at Madarasa Manar in Waberi Ward, Garissa Township, Duale said people continue to move across the frontier even though the crossing points remain officially shut.

“The border could have created better revenue for the government. Immigration authorities would have had the opportunity to vet people properly. But as it stands, you are saying the border is closed, yet that is only on paper,” he said.

The CS said he has already discussed the matter with President William Ruto and remains hopeful that the government will eventually reopen the border formally.

“We want the border to be open, and I will continue to engage the President on this issue,” he added.

Duale said reopening the frontier would give a fresh push to Garissa and the wider North Eastern economy by reviving trade and restoring livelihoods that depend on cross-border movement.

He added that legalising travel and commerce along the border would improve revenue collection, tighten regulation and deepen cooperation between Kenya and Somalia.

In February, President Ruto announced plans to reopen the border during a development tour in Mandera, signalling an end to a closure that has remained in place for more than 15 years.

The President said the move would open up trade, strengthen the economic outlook of Northeastern counties and reconnect communities that have been separated by the long shutdown.

“It is unacceptable that fellow Kenyans in Mandera remain cut off from their kin and neighbours in Somalia,” Ruto said at the time.

He further said security would be reinforced through the deployment of additional police officers at key border points, adding that the challenge of securing the frontier was no longer beyond the government.

The planned reopening also comes as Somalia joins the East African Community, a development expected to boost regional integration and cooperation.

The Kenya–Somalia border was closed between 2011 and 2012 at the height of insecurity linked to the militant group Al-Shabaab.

Attempts to reopen it in 2023 were abandoned after a resurgence of attacks, underscoring the persistent security risks that continue to shape policy on the frontier.

Under the current government plan, the reopening will be rolled out in phases, starting with the main crossing points in Mandera, Liboi and Kiunga.

For communities in North Eastern Kenya, where cross-border trade has long supported households, the reopening remains a pressing demand.

Local leaders and residents have repeatedly urged the government to move faster, arguing that restoring official trade routes would unlock economic opportunities and improve living standards.