Kenya launches program to strengthen border security.

NAIROBI, March 4– Kenya on Monday launched a program that seeks to coordinate the management of its border in a bid to strengthen its national security. Raymond Omollo, principal secretary for Internal Security and National Administration, said the Border Management Program is a vital step toward ensuring the security and efficiency of Kenya’s ports of entry and exit. “The program encompasses critical dimensions of border management, including governance structures for cooperation and emerging trends and technologies,” Omollo said during the launch in Nairobi, the capital of Kenya. He added that the border management system embraces both domestic coordination within and between agencies in the country as well as international coordination involving collaboration between neighboring countries and trading partners to enhance security and promote economic and social cohesion. According to Omollo, Kenya, through the program, will have a more coordinated and efficient approach to tackling organized crime and other threats that undermine peace, security and sustainable development. Kenya’s strategic location in East Africa underscores the importance of effective border management in enhancing trade, and national security, and promoting regional integration, he said. The East African nation implemented a visa-free policy in January that allows anyone from across the world to enter the country after only applying for electronic authorization. To stem threats of terrorism as well as organized crimes like human trafficking, Kenya has modernized its border operations over the years by embracing technology and fostering collaboration among various border agencies locally and internationally.