CS Nkaissery meets Somali clan leaders in Kenya

The government of Kenya Sunday, April 24 confirmed it will resume construction of the security wall along its border with Somalia to help curb cross border incursions by Al-Shabaab militants.

Interior Cabinet Secretary Joseph Nkaissery said the building of the 700km wall on the border with Somalia from Mandera to Kiunga in the coast will prevent Al-Shabaab militants from getting into the county.

The CS also said it will stop unwanted persons from illegally getting into Kenya.
Nkaissery was speaking in Nairobi when he met a group of Marehan clan leaders from Somalia.

“This fence will help us check on people like Al-Shabaab from crossing to and from Somalia. We will not limit movement of other people,” Nkaissery said.

Nkaissery promised the Marehan clan which lives along the border with Ethiopia and Somalia in Mandera County that the fence will not prevent or curb the movement of their people from and to Somalia as claimed.

The CS said entry points will have immigration officers who will screen those entering the country.

The CS also said that police posts and Kenya Revenue Authority will have their officers at designated points in the border to provide services.
Nkaissery called on the clans living in the Somalia border with Kenya to cooperate and fight terror elements that disrupt unity between the two countries.

The construction of the security wall had stalled after the government said it lacked funds, according to sources the wall would cost Kenya  two million dollars per kilometre.

The Kenyan government mooted the idea of the wall based on the concepts applied in both Israel and USA to deter movements but instead it will only be crossed by entering through the appropriate border points.

Kenya has faced threat of al-Shabaab attacks that have been carried out in towns like Mandera, Garissa, Mombasa, Lamu and the capital Nairobi.

The terror group claims it will bring its war on Kenyan soil after they were defeated by Kenyan forces in the Operation Linda Nchi that was launched in 2011.

Operation Linda Nchi was aimed to destroy al-Shabaab and end their control of southern Somalia and the capital Mogadishu they used to launch terror activities in Kenya and Somalia.