Kenya and the United Kingdom have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aimed at strengthening border security cooperation and tackling transnational organized crime, human trafficking, and migrant smuggling.
The agreement, coordinated through Kenya’s Ministry of Interior and National Administration, seeks to enhance intelligence sharing, early warning systems, and protective security measures, with an initial focus on Turkana, Mandera, Marsabit, Wajir, and Busia counties.
Speaking during the signing ceremony, the Principal Secretary for Internal Security and National Administration Raymond Omollo emphasized that the MoU represents a crucial step in promoting peace, stability, and socio-economic development along Kenya’s borderlands.
“This agreement marks a major milestone in strengthening collective efforts to protect our communities and ensure a holistic approach that integrates law enforcement with community engagement and peace initiatives,” the PS said.
The MoU responds to increasingly complex cross-border threats, particularly along the Kenya–Somalia and Kenya–Ethiopia borderlands, including terrorism, human trafficking, human smuggling, and organized crime.
It builds on existing initiatives, such as the Deris Wanaag programme and the Land Border Programme, which have laid the foundation for stability in these regions.
UK Deputy High Commissioner and Development Director Diana Dalton said the partnership demonstrates a renewed commitment to cooperation on border security.
“The UK is proud to enhance our Strategic Partnership with Kenya through this landmark agreement on border security. We are working together to tackle organized crime and prevent the exploitation of vulnerable people by unscrupulous and exploitative human traffickers,” she said. “The UK and Kenya are partnering to bring greater security and stability to the region, keeping the people of both our nations safe.”
The implementation of the programme will be coordinated through Kenya’s national security architecture, with structured engagement of key partners, including local security committees and border control agencies.
The initiative will strengthen evidence-based understanding of mixed migration, organized crime, and protection risks to inform policy and operational responses, while ensuring communities are better protected from irregular migration and smuggling.
As part of the initial phase, the programme will prioritize support to selected border counties with consideration for expansion to other areas as needed.
The cooperation builds on the long-standing Kenya–UK partnership, anchored in mutual security interests, regional stability, and people-to-people ties, and follows the July 2025 official visit by President William Ruto to the UK, during which the two countries renewed and deepened their Strategic Partnership for an additional five years.
