Kenya, UK Sign MoU to Strengthen Border Security Cooperation

By : Mweru Mbugua 

Kenya and the United Kingdom have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aimed at enhancing border security cooperation and improving stability in Kenya’s border regions

In a statement released on Wednesday following the signing, the Ministry of Interior and National Administration said the agreement will support joint efforts to counter cross-border threats and protect communities from transnational organised crime, including human trafficking and migrant smuggling

The Principal Secretary for Internal Security and National Administration said the MoU is designed to strengthen collective efforts to promote peace, stability and socio-economic development in border areas through a holistic approach that integrates law enforcement, community engagement and peace-building initiatives

According to the ministry, the cooperation responds to increasingly complex cross-border security challenges, including terrorism, trafficking in persons, human smuggling and other forms of transnational organised crime, particularly along the Kenya–Somalia and Kenya–Ethiopia borderlands

The MoU also builds on ongoing initiatives aimed at enhancing stability in border regions, including the Deris Wanaag programme and the Land Border Programme

UK Deputy High Commissioner and Development Director Diana Dalton said the agreement reinforces the Kenya–UK strategic partnership and will deepen collaboration in tackling organised crime and preventing the exploitation of vulnerable people

“Our renewed commitment to cooperation on border security will see us working together to tackle organised crime and prevent the exploitation of vulnerable people by unscrupulous human traffickers,” Dalton said, adding that the partnership is intended to enhance security and stability across the region

Implementation of the agreement will be coordinated through Kenya’s national security architecture under the leadership of the Interior Ministry, with structured engagement of key partners

The programme is expected to strengthen early warning systems and intelligence sharing, enhance protective security responses, and support coordinated interventions to address irregular migration, smuggling and trafficking

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During its initial phase, the initiative will prioritise selected border counties, including Turkana, Mandera, Marsabit, Wajir and Busia, with the possibility of expanding to other regions

The ministry noted that the programme will also seek to improve evidence-based understanding of mixed migration, organised crime and protection risks to inform policy and operational responses, while building the capacity of local security committees and border control agencies in collaboration with community leaders

Kenya and the United Kingdom share longstanding bilateral relations anchored on security cooperation and regional stability. The ministry added that the MoU builds on high-level engagements, including President William Ruto’s official visit to the UK in July 2025, during which both countries agreed to renew and deepen the Kenya–UK Strategic Partnership for a further five years