Certain parts of Masalani in Garissa and Tana River counties hosting National Intelligence Service (NIS) bases have been designated as protected areas with restricted access.

Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen, in a Gazette Notice dated May 16, announced that the Masalani NIS Campus in Masalani and Jamhuri areas in Garissa County and the Masalani National Intelligence Service Campus, Tana River County, have been placed under heightened security.

Murkomen said entry to the restricted areas will be strict and regulated by the Director General of the National Intelligence Service (NIS), Noordin Haji. ‘’In exercise of the powers conferred by section 3 (1) of the Protected Areas Act, the Cabinet Secretary for Interior and National Administration orders that the Masalani National Intelligence Service Campus Protected Area Order, 2025,’’ the notice read in part.

Restricted zones

The move, in line with the Protected Areas Act, implies that unauthorised persons cannot enter or operate within the restricted zones without formal approval. The law allows the government to restrict access to certain areas for security and public safety.

Some of the areas surrounding Masalani include Majengo, Wenje, Garsen, Hola, and Fajua in Garissa County. Residents from these areas and others would now need approval from the NIS

officials before accessing the area. Although the CS did not outline why the areas were declared as protected areas, being NIS facilities, the areas house sensitive intelligence operations, requiring strict access control.

 Authorised personnel

Restricting access also ensures that only authorised personnel can enter, reducing potential security threats, and it also ensures intelligence activities remain confidential.

The bases were set up in the area to help contain growing Al Shabaab activities in the region, which has been suffering from terror-related attacks for years, leaving it poorly developed.

The area is near the Kenya-Somalia border where terrorists cross to the country for attacks and escape to their country. As part of efforts to address the menace, the government has been setting up development projects and increasing road networks.

The attacks have also posed a major test to both Kenya and Somalia, which had planned to reopen the border points between the two countries, which were closed 1 years ago due to the threat of terrorism – in phases. The reopening of the border was to ensure the resumption of trade between the two countries, facilitate the movement of people and promote sustainable development between the two countries.

The three border points are Handerabulahawa in Mandera County, LiboiHarhar in Garissa County and KiungaDaresalam in Lamu County, which were closed in 2011 at the height of constant invasion and attacks masterminded by the Al-shabaab terror group