President William Ruto has attributed the delayed reopening of the Kenya-Somalia border to a funding crisis and ongoing political instability in Somalia, which he says continues to undermine regional security efforts.
Speaking during an interview in Wajir County after Madaraka Day celebrations on June 1, Ruto said he had initially expected the border to reopen earlier but noted that prevailing circumstances had forced a reassessment.
“I really thought I would have opened those borders by now. But unfortunately, there is always a delicate balance between security and commerce,” he said.
Ruto further noted that Kenya’s deployment of the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) in Somalia to support stabilization efforts has been costly, particularly due to the lack of consistent international funding.
“We have had challenges with our border with Somalia because of the things that you all know,” adding, “We have gone out of our way as a country to make sure that we secure that border at huge cost, by the way.”
The lack of a coherent international plan over the past two years, he added, has stalled the progress his administration was making toward normalising cross-border movement and trade.
The Head of State also pointed to Somalia’s internal politics as a major stumbling block, saying the country’s federal states have not reached full agreement on a unified governance process.
