Kenya to Reopen Somalia Border in April After 15-Year Closure
The frontier, including key crossing points such as Mandera, was sealed in October 2011 after a series of incursions and violence attributed to the Al-Shabaab terrorist group, which has sustained an insurgency in Somalia and carried out attacks on Kenyan soil
By : Mweru Mbugua
The long-closed border between Kenya and Somalia is set to officially reopen in April 2026, marking the end of a 15-year shutdown imposed in response to repeated militant attacks, President William Ruto announced on Thursday
The frontier, including key crossing points such as Mandera, was sealed in October 2011 after a series of incursions and violence attributed to the Al-Shabaab terrorist group, which has sustained an insurgency in Somalia and carried out attacks on Kenyan soil
Speaking in Mandera during a government event, Ruto said the prolonged closure has unfairly separated Kenyan families and traders from their neighbours across the border. “It is unacceptable that fellow Kenyans in Mandera remain cut off from their kin and neighbours in Somalia due to the prolonged closure of the Mandera Border Post,” he said, adding that the border post will be reopened in April
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The government has pledged to deploy additional security personnel to ensure the reopening does not compromise safety, as it seeks to revive cross-border trade and restore economic ties. Previous efforts to reopen the frontier including a phased plan agreed in May 2023 and talks between former Kenyan and Somali leaders were derailed by renewed insecurity
The 680-kilometre land border has historically supported informal trade and community interaction, and its reopening is expected to boost commerce and reconnect families long divided by the closure
This article is based on reporting from multiple news outlets, including Agence France-Presse and local Kenyan media
