Kenya is losing billions in revenue at its Mandera border with Ethiopia and Somalia due to closure on one end, and porous, unregulated crossing, on the other.
For years the borders with Ethiopia at Suftu and Rhamu have remained open and vibrant, allowing a largely informal and unregulated cross-border movement of persons and goods via River Daua using rafts.
There is neither an official entryway nor customs office, while the border with Somalia has been closed for 16 years.
The Kenya-Somalia border point 1 is fully equipped with an official entryway, a border patrol police post and immigration offices but has remained closed since the Mwai Kibaki years due to the Kenya Defence Force's incursion into Somalia.
The militant group, Al Shabaab, also used the border to cross into the country and launch retaliatory attacks and plant improvised explosive devices, hence the closure.
Consequently, access to Somalia’s Bula Hawa town is minimal and guarded compared to the Ethiopian border.
However, there are informal movements through unofficial routes bringing consumables to Kenya.
Local leaders in Mandera believe the country and the devolved administration is losing billions in revenue by the unmanned and closed borders. This comes at a time when the country is seeking more revenue to address deficits.
Though security officials in the county concede that its illegal, crossings are essential because Kenyans in Mandera obtain their basic food supplies from Somalia.
Things like sugar, rice, powdered milk and pasta are brought in from Somalia’s Bula Hawa, while traders sell maize four, tea leaves and plastics from Kenya.
Adan Hamud, the Mandera trade executive, said it would benefit the country if the border operation was reinstated because the volume of the illegal trade is high.
“It would be disadvantageous for Mandera residents, in the short-term, but helpful for us and the country in the long run," he said.
"In the short-term, the opening of the border would invite KRA (Kenya Revenue Authority), meaning that cost of basic supplies would go up, but with legitimised trade, even the county’s revenue generation would go up.
“The revenue loss can be projected if you consider the volume of goods going to Ethiopia across River Daua and to Bula Hawa and reverse.”
Indeed, the national government could be recording losses.
This comes after a multi-agency team, led by Macharia Chege, the KRA deputy commissioner in charge of customs, border management and enforcement, toured the county and met local leaders.
The team also toured the Somalia border to explore the feasibility of setting up an office, as well as the Ethiopian border.
In July, Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki said the opening of the border points with Somalia were in the works but the security challenges had it delayed for a while.
"Kenya and Somalia have been planning to re-open our border points in Mandera, here in Liboi, Kiunga and other areas along the border," he said.
"The plan will go on, but at the moment, we are delaying it [due to] disruption of peace and security. We have stopped that plan for a period to allow us to deal with the militants.”
Mandera deputy county commissioner Patrick Meso confirmed that the illicit trade exists but at a minimal level.
“It is only on basic foodstuff, especially during droughts. As a government, we cannot let our people die of hunger because the border is closed. We allow minimal movements to bring basic supplies," the administrator said.
"In other instances, like when rains cut off transport infrastructure and flood the airstrip, movement in and out of the county to get supplies from Nairobi is impossible. The neighbouring countries become the viable options.”
He expressed optimism that the process for re-opening the border could begin soon given the multiagency team’s visit.
“Mandera is a very important county. When we start seeing teams coming to assess it, that means there is goodwill from the high office," Meso added.
