Reopening of the Kenya-Somalia border delayed

The reopening of Kenya’s border crossings with Somalia has been delayed amid security concerns according to the Cabinet Secretary for the Interior and National Administration, Kithure Kindiki.
Kindiki stressed that in order to effectively handle the recent spike in terrorism attacks and cross-border crime that has afflicted the region in recent months, the reopening of the border crossings must be delayed.
While guaranteeing adherence to international responsibilities, the government seeks to offer its citizens better protection.
Kindiki stressed the significance of prioritizing national security and safeguarding the interests of both refugees and host communities. “The government will delay the planned reopening of Kenya-Somalia border points until we definitively deal with the recent spate of terror attacks and cross-border crime,” he said.
While the vast majority of migrants are law-abiding persons seeking safety, he noted that a small minority has taken advantage of their refugee status to commit crimes, including terrorist attacks.
In order to solve these issues, Kenya amended and enhanced its Refugee Act in 2022, bringing its laws into compliance with international agreements. The administration is devoted to keeping its end of these agreements. However, recent events have forced a change in management strategy for refugee databases.
In the future, the database of all refugees in Kenya will be managed and administered by the Kenyan government. In regards to the execution of the Refugee Act 2022 and its responsibilities as a signatory to international treaties, Kindiki declared, “We will neither roll back nor backtrack.” ”To protect the security interests of both genuine refugees and our host communities, we must, nevertheless, act decisively.”
The government feels that the temporary measures are necessary to achieve long-term peace and security in the region, despite the fact that some cross-border traders may find the delay to be inconvenient.