Kenya has reaffirmed its commitment to enhancing regional border security and combating transnational crime by hosting a high-level workshop under the U.S. Export Control and Border Security (EXBS) Program.
The EXBS Regional Workshop, officially opened on Monday at the Kenya School of Government (KSG), Lower Kabete Campus, brought together officials from Kenya, Somalia, Namibia, Madagascar and the Central African Republic. The aim is to develop and validate a regional Compendium of Best Practices to improve border management and strengthen coordination across Eastern, Central and Southern Africa.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Principal Secretary Dr. Raymond Omollo, who also serves as Chairperson of the Border Control and Operations Coordination Committee (BCOCC), emphasized the urgency of the initiative in an era of rapidly evolving security threats.
“Small arms and light weapons, violent extremism, and transnational organised crime continue to threaten peace and development across East, Central, and Southern Africa,” PS Omollo said, noting that these challenges require more coordinated, intelligence-led responses.
Omollo noted that the workshop marks a significant step toward enhancing frontline capacity, strengthening intelligence sharing, and improving operational cooperation among participating states. The focus will be on intelligence-led operations, enhanced detection and inter-agency coordination — all designed to counter the trafficking of illicit goods and curb the spread of radicalization.
“Transnational criminal and extremist networks exploit porous borders, weak inter-agency coordination, legislative gaps, and sophisticated technologies to traffic illicit weapons, radicalize youth, and undermine governance and economic growth,” he said.
“Evidence shows these networks continuously adapt faster than governments can respond, making border management a critical and urgent priority for national and regional security.”
The EXBS initiative is a cooperation framework supported by the United States Department of State, aimed at strengthening export controls and related border security through training, policy development and institutional capacity building. In Kenya, EXBS has previously supported specialised training programs, helped develop Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and enhanced the capacity of frontline officers to detect and interdict illicit goods, including narcotics and contraband.
“The EXBS initiative has strengthened Kenya’s border management through specialized training programs, SOP development and capacity building of frontline officers to detect illicit goods and human trafficking,” PS Omollo said, adding that collaboration with partners such as KSG ensures measurable results that build on existing systems rather than reinvent them.
Border security has been a priority for Kenya amid increasing regional challenges. The country shares long and often porous borders with South Sudan, Ethiopia, Somalia and Uganda, making it vulnerable to smuggling, human trafficking and extremist infiltration. According to the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime, East Africa remains a hotspot for illicit trafficking routes — including small arms — that destabilize communities and weaken governance structures.
Kenya’s participation in regional frameworks such as the INTERPOL’s Project TRIDENT and the African Union’s Silencing the Guns initiative aligns with these efforts, aiming to harmonize law enforcement actions and reduce the flow of illicit weapons and illegal trade networks across borders.
Omollo also reaffirmed Kenya’s full support for the objectives of the EXBS program and all initiatives that enhance national and regional border security.
“Kenya reaffirms full commitment to the objectives of the Export Control and Border Security Program and all initiatives that strengthen national border security,” he said, stressing that integrated governance and improved cross-border collaboration are central to long-term peace and development.
The week-long workshop is expected to culminate in a consensus-based compendium, setting the stage for enhanced regional cooperation, improved frontline response, and greater resilience against transnational threats that undermine stability and economic growth across the continent.
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