by STEPHEN ASTARIKOThursday August 6, 2026
Abakaile Ward MCA Hajir Mohamed Dahiye speaks to the press outside Parliament Buildings in Nairobi/STEPHEN ASTARIKO
A fresh attack along the Kenya-Somalia border has renewed pressure for a fundamental review of Kenya’s security strategy.Kenya Pipeline reports
Abakaile MCA Hajir Mohamed Dahiye is urging Parliament to re-evaluate the country’s military operations, diplomatic engagement and border management policy.
In a petition to the speakers of the National Assembly and the Senate, Dahiye has asked the National Assembly’s Departmental Committee on Defence, Intelligence and Foreign Relations to urgently examine the security situation along the Kenya-Somalia frontier, with particular focus on Garissa county, Dadaab constituency and neighbouring Jubaland.
The appeal follows an attack several days ago in which about 15 heavily armed men suspected of belonging to al-Shabaab raided Abakaile trading centre in Dadaab subcounty.
The attackers threw a hand grenade at the centre’s main gate and opened fire on its power generator, interrupting communication services. Officers from Dadaab and Saretho moved in and forced the militants to retreat towards Fafi.
No deaths or injuries were reported. After submitting the petition, Dahiye said people in Garissa continued to face repeated terrorist attacks despite years of Kenya’s military and diplomatic involvement in Somalia.
He said Kenya had committed substantial resources to security operations since Operation Linda Nchi began in 2011, yet communities along the border still face insecurity, financial losses and interruptions to their livelihoods.
“The lives, security and livelihoods of residents living along the Kenya-Somalia border remain under constant threat despite the enormous sacrifices made by the Kenya Defence Forces and other security agencies,” the petition states.
“Parliament must now undertake a comprehensive review of whether the country’s current security and diplomatic approach is effectively protecting Kenyan citizens.”
One of the petition’s central demands is an evaluation of Kenya’s political, diplomatic and military engagement in Jubaland since 2012, including whether the policy has delivered lasting security improvements for border communities.
It also calls on the ministries responsible for Defence, Interior and Foreign Affairs to provide an assessment of the security situation, including the scale of al Shabaab’s operational presence in Jubaland.
Dahiye wants lawmakers to quantify the human and economic toll of prolonged insecurity in Garissa and other frontier counties, as well as determine whether Kenya’s policy towards southern Somalia is adequately safeguarding national interests.
The petition draws particular attention to the long-running closure of the Liboi-Harhar border crossing, saying the shutdown has severely restricted lawful commerce and denied thousands of residents economic opportunities.
Dahiye is asking Parliament to consider reopening the crossing through an integrated border management system combining immigration and customs services with intelligence-led screening and counter-terrorism safeguards.
He is also advocating a whole-of-government plan bringing together defence, intelligence, diplomacy, border administration, economic development and community involvement to improve security along the Kenya-Somalia frontier.
Although the petition recognises the sacrifices of the Kenya Defence Forces, the National Police Service and other security agencies, it says Parliament must establish whether the wider policy guiding Kenya’s engagement in southern Somalia remains fit for purpose.
