Kenya’s border with Somalia is set to reopen in April, nearly 15 years after it was closed due to security concerns linked to the Islamist militant group al-Shabab. President William Ruto announced the move during a visit to Mandera, a town in Kenya’s north-east.
The border was shut following a series of deadly attacks in Kenya claimed by al-Shabab, including the 2013 Westgate shopping mall attack in Nairobi that killed 67 people, and the 2015 Garissa University attack in which 148 people died.
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President Ruto said the decision follows years of security assessments and assured that heavy deployment of security forces would ensure safety is not compromised. He added that reopening the Mandera border post would reconnect families and boost cross-border trade.
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