The humanitarian crisis in Moyale persists amid fears that criminal networks could exploit the unfolding situation to engage in human trafficking and smuggle firearms and drugs into Kenya.
The emerging security risks have prompted the deployment of additional police officers to the border town as terror threats escalate in neighbouring Garissa and Mandera counties, where Al-Shabaab militants have attempted to raid security installations and target Dagahaley Refugee Camp.
As police work to contain the latest threats posed by Al-Shabaab, they face another challenge: preventing firearms and drugs from being smuggled into the country from Ethiopia, where residents are crossing into Moyale following territorial clashes between two communities.
In the past, firearms and drug traffickers have used the border town as a major entry point for weapons and narcotics, with Nairobi emerging as a preferred destination.
Aware of this trend, police commanders are putting measures in place to disrupt the twin crimes, which pose serious national security challenges amid renewed Al-Shabaab threats.
According to Inspector-General of Police Douglas Kanja, the government is concerned that criminals could take advantage of the humanitarian situation to smuggle firearms and dangerous drugs into the country.
Weapons smuggled from Ethiopia have been linked to increased crime, intercommunal violence and banditry. Trafficked firearms from conflict zones reportedly enter Kenya through porous border areas, including Moyale and Malkasufta.
It has also been established that much of the cannabis trafficked into and consumed in Kenya originates from Ethiopia, contributing to substance abuse among young people and worsening mental health challenges.
Early last year, the National Police Service launched a major security operation, code-named Operation Ondoa Jangili, targeting the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA) militia in northern Kenya.
The crackdown, led by Deputy Inspector-General of the Administration Police Service Gilbert Masengeli, sought to flush out OLA hideouts and curb human trafficking, firearms and drug smuggling, illegal mining and kidnapping for ransom.
The operation targeted several sub-counties, including Sololo, Moyale, North Horr and Merti in Marsabit and Isiolo counties.
OLA members were accused of exploiting close family and cultural ties among the Borana communities in Kenya and Ethiopia to infiltrate and conceal themselves within communities in Marsabit and Isiolo.
Kanja has warned that although Operation Ondoa Jangili disrupted criminal networks, the unfolding situation in Moyale could provide fresh opportunities for criminals to smuggle weapons and hard drugs into Kenya.
“That’s why we must remain on high alert by enhancing patrols along the border, where we are deploying more officers to beef up security and assist in screening efforts because we’re aware of criminals hell-bent on trafficking in humans, firearms and drugs,” said Kanja.
However, as police shift their focus to Moyale, a series of coordinated Al-Shabaab attacks in Garissa and Mandera has raised questions about the militants’ renewed activity.
The group reportedly staged unsuccessful raids targeting Hulugho Police Station and a Special Operations Group (SOG) camp in Garissa, a military camp in Lafey, a General Service Unit (GSU) camp in Fafi and a Quick Response Unit (QRU) camp in Dadaab.
Amid the heightened threats, reports also emerged that the militants had planned to abduct Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) workers based at Dagahaley Refugee Camp in Dadaab, Garissa County.
Following intelligence reports on the night of November 2, 2026, security officers stepped up surveillance around the camp, which hosts more than 100,000 refugees from Somalia. MSF staff provide emergency medical care, maternal health services, malnutrition treatment and mental health support.
Heavily armed Al-Shabaab fighters reportedly made simultaneous attempts to attack Hulugho Police Station and Gesreb SOG camp in Garissa.
At the police station, which hosts a multi-agency security team, the militants opened fire but were repulsed during the 1.20am attack. A similar attempt was made at Gereb SOG camp around the same time.
Three hours earlier, military officers at Damasa Forward Operating Base (FOB) in Mandera County engaged Al-Shabaab fighters in a shoot-out after drones detected them approaching the security installation near the border. Police said the militants subsequently withdrew, with no soldiers injured.
On the same night, another group of fighters armed with rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs) and PKM machine guns attacked Fafi Centre GSU camp at around 7pm. Officers repulsed the attack, with no injuries reported.
A separate group of approximately 10 militants armed with RPGs and AK-47 rifles attacked Saretho QRU camp in Dadaab at around 9.50pm. Officers, who were on high alert, repulsed the attack, forcing the assailants to flee in a getaway vehicle.
The humanitarian crisis in Moyale was triggered by fighting across the Ethiopian border between Oromo and Somali communities following the establishment of a new regional administrative office and the subsequent raising of the Somali regional flag in a disputed area.
