PS Omollo meets border control teams to review security status

Multi-agency teams manning major border points met to review the state of security in the country amid a surge of crimes.

The Tuesday meeting chaired by Interior Principal Secretary Raymond Omollo emphasized among other things the need to incorporate transboundary resources in border management and status updates on the establishment of new approved points of entry/exits.

It also called for continued engagement under the multi-agency framework between agencies on integrated border management.

So far, the committee has fostered collaboration among the various law enforcement agencies and minimized the use of forged travel documents, illegal migration, human trafficking, smuggling of weapons, trafficking of narcotics and laundering of money among other crimes across the country’s borders.

The meeting was hosted at the General Service Unit Campus in Embakasi and was hosted by the Inspector General National Police Service Japhet Koome.

It was the 53rd Border Control and Coordination Operations Committee (BCOCC).

Police categorize borders into hard and soft with the hard one being the stretch between Kenya and Somalia designated from Border Point 1 in Mandera to Border Point 29 in point Dar es Salam in Kiunga.

Also present in the meeting is the Director General Kenya Coast Guard Services, Bruno Isohi Shioso, Commandant GSU, Eliud Lagat and Director Operations APS, Godfrey Otunge.

Other members of BOCCC include heads of Immigration, NCTC, KIBO, KEB, Port Health Services, Kenya Airports Authority and KenTrade.

There are growing security threats from the border points.

The PS disclosed that the establishment of the Border Control and Operations Coordination Committee has enabled the country to reap substantial gains.

He also acknowledged the security challenges that come with the opening up of borders, stressing the need for approaching the entry and exit systems from the national security perspective.

“These shared trade and travel spaces which offer enabling environments for socio-economic and cultural interaction – promoting regional integration – are also common grounds for criminals,” Omollo said.

The government plans to deploy advanced and emerging technologies at its points of entry and exit to curb cross-border crimes and improve clearance of persons across the 35 one-stop border posts and border control checkpoints.

Omollo had earlier relayed the government’s commitment to the concept of smart border security systems as a surefire response to the illegal activities threatening national and regional security.

One of the advanced-level monitoring and clearance technologies adopted by developed countries is the Internet of Things (IoT), which utilizes sensors and processing software for seamless and real-time data across a network of devices.

These include smart video monitoring, smart kiosks, surveillance drones, and even mobile apps, which have presented new opportunities in border management operations.

According to Omollo, Kenya’s plan to keep up with the pace of innovation in this sector will not only expand its border patrol security capabilities but also facilitate legitimate cross-border trade.

“Now, more than ever, we are obligated to perceive our entry and exit systems through a national security lens,” he said.

He lauded the support networks propagated through BCOCC, a joint team of representatives from various law enforcement agencies, established in 2014 to formulate policies and programs for the management of border control checkpoints.