Leaders from North Eastern Kenya have renewed calls for the immediate reopening of the Kenya–Somalia border, warning that the prolonged closure is stifling local economies and deepening frustration among communities that rely heavily on cross-border trade.
Speaking at a meeting in Garissa on Tuesday, Fafi MP Salah Yakub urged President William Ruto to intervene, saying the region’s economic fortunes are tied to access through the frontier.
“We are the second-largest economy, yet nobody comes back to assist us. A town like Garissa depends on that border, which is just 40 kilometres away and 50 kilometres to Kismayu port. We are asking the President to direct its reopening so that we can freely trade,” Yakub said.
The Kenya–Somalia border was officially closed in October 2011 as part of efforts to curb Al-Shabaab attacks. What was meant to be a temporary security measure has instead resulted in years of restricted movement and disrupted business, affecting towns such as Garissa, Mandera, and other communities along the frontier.
In May last year, Kenya and Somalia agreed on a phased reopening of three key border points starting with Mandera, followed by Garissa and Lamu. But the plan stalled after a surge in deadly attacks in June of the same year.
On June 13, eight police officers were killed in Garissa when their vehicle hit an improvised explosive device. Less than two weeks later, five civilians were killed in Lamu in an attack linked to Al-Shabaab, with some victims found beheaded. The renewed insecurity forced authorities to slow the reopening process, leaving border communities in limbo once again.
Despite much of the trade happening informally, Kenya exported goods worth about USD130 million (roughly Ksh16.8 billion) to Somalia in 2024, while imports stood at just over USD4 million (about Ksh517 million), underscoring the importance of the cross-border market.
Meanwhile, leaders have raised fresh concerns over delays in issuing national ID cards to residents despite President Ruto signing an Executive Order earlier this year waiving the vetting requirement for Northeastern applicants.
Tarbaj MP Ibrahim Saney said many processed ID forms remain stuck in Nairobi, accusing unnamed officials of sabotaging the President’s directive meant to ease access to identification documents.
“They call it validation in Nairobi, yet no IDs are being issued in Garissa. Vetting has been removed, but the IDs are not coming back,” Saney said. “Who is this sabotaging the President? Something must be done about the production of identification cards.”
The leaders now want both the border reopening plan and the ID issuance directive implemented without further delay, saying the region cannot afford continued administrative and economic setbacks.
Such a refreshing take on a common topic.
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