The government will establish a One-Stop Border Post at Konyao in West Pokot County to curb cross-border crime and facilitate legitimate trade with neighbouring countries, Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has said.
Murkomen said the facility would strengthen border surveillance and help prevent illegal firearms, drugs, illicit alcohol and other contraband from entering the country.
“The border post will ensure that as we facilitate legitimate cross-border trade, criminals do not enter our country and illicit alcohol does not find its way into Kenya,” he said.
Murkomen spoke on Wednesday while accompanying President William Ruto during his development tour of West Pokot County, where the government launched road and electricity connectivity projects.
The planned facility is intended to improve coordination among agencies responsible for border management, facilitating lawful movement while strengthening checks against criminal activities.
Murkomen said the government was pursuing an approach that combines improved infrastructure with security measures to support development in border communities.
West Pokot shares a border with Uganda, making the area important for trade and movement between communities on either side. Cross-border routes can also be exploited by criminal networks involved in trafficking and the movement of illegal goods.
Murkomen's announcement came as Ruto launched the upgrading to bitumen standard of the 24-kilometre Konyao-Kiwawa-Alale Road.
The road project is expected to improve connectivity within the county, ease the movement of people and goods, and improve access to markets and essential services.
The President also flagged off the Kacheliba Last Mile Connectivity Project, which seeks to extend electricity access to more households and businesses.
The projects form part of the government's development programme in the North Rift region, where improved road and electricity infrastructure is expected to support economic activity and service delivery.
The planned border post adds a security component to the investments, with the government seeking to ensure that improved connectivity and increased trade do not create opportunities for criminal activities.
