By Azizah Abdullahi | Wajir Today | Friday, May 15, 2026
The national government halted plans to construct a multi-agency security installation along the strategic Moyale-Marsabit-Isiolo road corridor after a dispute erupted over the proposed site between residents and leaders from Marsabit and Wajir Counties, Interior Minister Kipchumba Murkomen said on Friday.
The government had planned to establish the facility to strengthen security along the northern corridor, which authorities say has become a key route for arms smuggling, narcotics trafficking, human trafficking and other transnational crimes.
In a statement issued after a high-level meeting bringing together political leaders from the two counties, Murkomen said the proposed construction site had become the centre of a boundary dispute that risked fuelling tensions between local communities.
“The construction of the facility will be discontinued and the site abandoned,” Murkomen said, adding that security officials had been tasked with identifying an alternative location in consultation with the National Security Council.
The security installation had been proposed following consultations among regional security agencies and submissions made during the government’s Jukwaa la Usalama public security forums.
Authorities said the facility was intended to improve surveillance and security coordination along the remote and expansive road corridor linking northern Kenya to neighbouring Ethiopia.
The Wajir County Security and Intelligence Committee had initiated the process to establish the facility, while the Eldas National Government Constituencies Development Fund (NG-CDF) agreed to finance the construction.
However, disagreement soon emerged after it became apparent that the identified site lies within a contested border area claimed by both Wajir and Marsabit counties.
The dispute sparked friction among leaders and residents from the two neighbouring counties, prompting the Interior Ministry to convene an emergency consultative meeting on Friday.
Under the resolutions reached during the talks, the North Eastern and Eastern regional security teams led by Regional Commissioners John Otieno and Jacob Muganda respectively, will identify a fresh site for the project.
Murkomen said the facility would remain “national in nature”, signalling that it would serve broader security interests beyond county boundaries.
Leaders and National Government Administrative Officers (NGAOs) from the affected areas were also directed to hold public barazas aimed at easing tensions and promoting coexistence between communities living near the disputed border.
The Cabinet Secretary further said the longstanding boundary dispute between Wajir and Marsabit counties would be handled through the relevant state institutions, including the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission.
“I commend the leaders for their wisdom and cooperation, and for putting the safety, peace, and security of their people first,” Murkomen said.
He assured residents that the government would expedite the establishment of the security facility once a new site is agreed upon.
The meeting brought together senior political leaders from both counties, including Governors, senators, county representatives and Members of Parliament from constituencies across the two counties.
The Moyale-Marsabit-Isiolo corridor is a critical transport and trade route connecting Kenya to Ethiopia through the border town of Moyale, but insecurity and cross-border criminal activities have remained persistent concerns for authorities.
