The once vibrant Kenya-Somalia border point in Mandera town that has remained closed for several years could soon be reopened. This follows improved security brought about by the ongoing construction of a border wall that has covered nearly 20km since the work started in 2015.
A security team led by parliamentary Committee on Defence and Foreign Affairs chair Katoo ole Metito and Defence Principal Secretary Torome Saitoti recently inspected the completed stretch of the fence.
They were accompanied by senior army officials, including the Vice-Chief of Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) Lieutenant General Robert Kibochi.
The tour was marked by rare heavy security that brought Mandera town to a near standstill as the convoy, which included a tank and armoured vehicles, moved from the airstrip to the county headquarters before crawling through the town to River Dawa. Briefing the team on the prevailing security situation, Mandera Deputy Governor Mohamed Arai said no Al Shabaab attack had occurred in the town for the past three years, an improvement he attributed to the security barrier that is expected to stretch more than 50km.
“Mandera town used to suffer regular attacks and our governor was a prime target. But all that is now in the past,” said Mr Arai who represented Governor Ali Roba during the inspection tour.