Kenyan President William Ruto has announced his country’s intention to reopen its border with Somalia in April, after nearly 15 years of closure imposed following attacks carried out by the militant group al-Shabaab inside Kenyan territory.
The border was closed in October 2011, when Kenya launched a large-scale military operation inside Somalia targeting al-Shabaab, which is affiliated with al-Qaeda, amid escalating cross-border attacks. Over the years, the group has carried out a series of deadly assaults in Kenya, including the 2013 attack on the Westgate shopping mall in Nairobi that killed 67 people, and the 2015 attack on Garissa University, which left 148 people dead.
Ruto said the decision to reopen two border crossings followed extensive security assessments, emphasizing that authorities would strengthen security deployment along the border to ensure that national security is not compromised. The Kenyan government also expressed concern over the continued smuggling of illegal weapons and other contraband across the shared frontier.
Plans to reopen the border had previously been announced in 2023 but were postponed after further attacks attributed to al-Shabaab. The renewed announcement comes days after a report by the Hiraal Institute, a Mogadishu-based research center, stated that the group has regained significant territory in central Somalia that it had lost during a major government offensive in 2022. The report criticized what it described as structural weaknesses within the government and its inability to consolidate control.
Ruto made the announcement during a visit to the border town of Mandera in northeastern Kenya, which is home to a large population of ethnic Somalis. In remarks posted on the social media platform X, he said it was unacceptable for Kenyans in Mandera to remain cut off from their relatives and neighbors in Somalia due to the prolonged closure of the Mandera border crossing. He expressed hope that reopening the crossing would boost cross-border trade and promote shared prosperity.
The Kenyan president also called on Mandera residents to cooperate with authorities in confronting al-Shabaab, stressing that Kenya would continue working side by side with local communities to enhance security and stability.
In 2015, Kenya began constructing a security barrier along its 680-kilometer border with Somalia in response to militant threats. However, the project stalled after only about 10 kilometers had been completed, at a cost of approximately $35 million, and was halted roughly three years later.