Security concerns over Kenya’s porous borders

By Isaiah Lucheli

When more than 50 illegal Somali immigrants were intercepted by security personnel 80km inside Kenya’s territory fleeing their war torn country, fears were raised.

This was followed by the rounding up of more than 800 illegal immigrants by police in major towns and the surrender of more than 2,300 guns in the amnesty announced by the Government.

The porous borders have raised concern and equally affected security of communities near them. They have also contributed to the proliferation of illegal arms, kidnappings, drug peddling and human trafficking.

Corruption among the police and other Government officials working at the border points has also been pointed out as one of the reasons leading to the influx of illegal immigrants.

Counter productive

For the pastoralists in the vast Turkana, Pokot, North Eastern and South Rift regions, the porous border has not only served as an important cross trade link but also proved to be counter productive following external attacks by pastoralists from neighbouring countries.

The border poses different challenges to different regions; in Coast Province, it is drug peddling and human trafficking.

Drug peddlers have taken advantage of the porous border to smuggle drugs in and out of the country.

In Western and Nyanza, smuggling of contraband goods, bhang and illicit brews thrive through the unmanned areas, which find their way to Nairobi, Mombasa and other urban centres.

Numerous illegal entry points in Busia, Bungoma, Migori, Kuria and Teso have led to an increase in the smuggling of illicit brew and bhang, which find their way to many urban centres.

A recent incident where a Government vehicle was impounded with a haul of bhang enroute to Nairobi from Migori shows the extent of drug trafficking.

Illegal immigrants from the war torn Somalia have taken advantage of the porous borders in North Eastern Province (NEP) to illegally seek asylum in the country and smuggle contraband goods and arms.

In NEP, the vast size of the boundary and the harsh climatic conditions and poor infrastructure pose serious challenge.

The vast province has only three border points, at Liboi, Hulugho and Mandera. This has given illegal immigrants an easy entry into the country. The illegal immigrants enter and leave the country at will through unmanned points.

At the North Rift and South Rift, pastoralists have taken advantage of the border to acquire arms and engage in cross border cattle rustling activities.

Acquisition of arms has led to vicious battles among the Turkana, Samburu and Pokot during cattle rustling, leaving many people dead and others seriously wounded.

The situation has been worsened by Government’s reluctance to seal off the borders and illegal entry points (panya routes), aggravating the influx of illegal immigrants and arms.

The unmanned borders are also to blame for the heavy losses incurred in revenue as unscrupulous traders prefer panya routes.

"Cases of our people being killed or attacked and livestock stolen by bandits from neighbouring countries has been on the rise and it is important the Government protects its citizens and property," said Turkana Central MP Ekwe Ethuro.

Ethuro, who is the chairman of the Amani Forum, said the proliferation of the arms is a serious issue in the Horn of Africa and called for governments in the region to tackle the issue with seriousness.

"The porous borders among the neighbouring countries is to blame for the increasing cases of arms and armed conflict over pasture and livestock. The Government should come up with a working formula to wipe up the guns," he said.

In some areas, especially the Northern frontier districts, the international borders are not defined and Government security forces are conspicuously absent leading to increasing cases of external aggression or vicious battles.

The Turkana County Council Chairman Eliud Kerio explained that leaders from the affected areas have on several occasions petitioned the Government to station the military along the border but that has not been done.

"The Ugandan government has a military base at Moroto while South Sudan has positioned their soldiers at Nadapal but the situation is different on the Kenyan side of the border," said Kerio.

He says the porous borders had greatly contributed to external attacks and conflict between communities living near the borders.

"Proliferation of illegal arms through our porous border reached its peak during instability in our neighbouring countries and the Government should work in collaboration with Uganda, Ethiopia and Sudan to carry out disarmament simultaneously," he says.