North Eastern regional commissioner, Mohamud Saleh confirmed that construction of the controversial security wall was still on course. The security wall is being built along the Kenya- Somalia border.
Commissioner Saleh insisted that the wall was meant to combat and secure Mandera town in Kenya which took the most attacks from the terrorist group, Al- Shabaab. He also pointed that the terror group Al- Shabaab was operating from Somali. He said this while inspecting 8 kilometers completed part of the wall that starts at Mandera border point.
The commissioner confirmed that surveys had already been carried out and construction would resume as soon as the additional 28 kilometers wall. He noted that there were changes from the initially planned concrete security wall. This was due to the high cost that would have been required. Commissioner Saleh said that the project would be carried out in phases with the wall going all the way to Kiunga, Lamu County in Kenya.
He further added that the construction project was a slow process but both countries were determined to secure Kenya Borders. He also said that the government of Kenya had no problem allowing citizens of Somalia crossing into the country for business purposes. However, such an action was to be organized in a structured way according to both the country’s agreements. Commissioner Saleh assured the public that Kenya was intent on good neighborliness and it would not condone terrorism anymore.
He further explained that the time where Somali citizens would walk in and out of Kenyan boarders was over. As such, one was required to present a passport or other legal documents when coming into Kenya. He commended Kenya Defense Forces (KDF) saying that they had done a great job in combating terrorism in both countries. KDF is working in conjunction with North Eastern Security and Intelligence Team chaired by Commissioner Mohamud Saleh.
The commissioner assured Kenyans that the government was focused on the security wall project. He explained that Kenya had no problem with Somali’s peaceful citizen. Somalia was a neighbor facing serious security challenges over the past 26 years.
The security wall will be 2 feet tall of concrete fitted with CCTV cameras. It will have strategic immigration and custom entry points and will cover over 400 km upon completion. The controversial security wall was borne out of concerns in the rising terrorist attacks on Kenyan soil in 2015. Areas greatly affected were Wajir, Garissa and Mandera counties. The three contain two parallel concrete fences made of razor wires and heavy mesh running between them. Next to the road used by border patrol security is a 3-meter deep trench on the Kenyan side.
