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Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki is today set to host a high-level ministerial meeting with Somalia ahead of the re-opening of three cross-border points between the two countries.

 The meeting with his Somalia counterpart Dr. Mohamed Ahmed Sheikh Ali (Doodishe) will deliberate on a roadmap of reopening the three border points to strengthen cross border cooperation, contribute to regional integration and promote sustainable development between the two countries.

 The bilateral meeting that will also bring together six ministers from the two countries including Kindiki, Sheikh Ali as well as cabinet secretaries Aden Duale (Defence) and Alfred Mutua (Foreign Affairs) alongside their Defence and Foreign Affairs counterparts from Somalia aims at providing a platform for the six cabinet ministers to discuss common security threats, improving border management and infrastructure, exchange ideas and experiences on border security management.

 It will also seek to address cross border crime, trade facilitation, mobility dynamics, strategic and operational information exchange, strategies to promote greater coordination and collaboration between Kenya and Somalia on cross border initiatives.

 In a statement sent to newsrooms, Kindiki said that the talks are critical because both countries need to decide on whether to re-open the borders and when that should happen.

 Said Kindiki: “We will be having important engagements on Monday morning with the Somalia delegation with the view of re-opening the three border points between the two countries.”

 The talks comes after a meeting between retired President Uhuru Kenyatta and his Somalia counterpart Hassan Sheikh Mohamud in July last year, where the duo announced a series of modalities to address security concerns along the shared border between the two countries as well as reopening of three border points; Mandera/Belet Hawo (Belethawa), Liboi-Harhar/Dhobley and Kiunga/Ras Kambon.

 The three border points closed in 2011 are critical ports of entry, whose closure has hampered cross-border trade and free movement of people and goods. The border points—Handera-bulahawa  in Mandera County, Liboi-Harhar  in Garissa County and Kiunga-Daresalam in Lamu were closed in 2011 at the height of constant invasion and attacks masterminded by the Al-Shabaab terror group.