The Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) on Thursday, May 21, engaged in an exercise to seal off illegal entry points along Kenya's border with Ethiopia at Moyale.
The exercise saw four illegal entry points sealed off as heavy machinery was employed. Coupled with the heavy security presence, it attracted the attention of residents who gathered around the sites.
Deep trenches were dug up with more installations put up to stop illegal crossing at the border. The military noted in a statement that they particularly hoped to deal a blow to illicit trade along the border.
The four illegal entry points were at Sessi, Kore, Foundation and Biashara, with more entry points to be identified and sealed as the exercise continues.
"Sealing off the illegal entry points will assist keep off smugglers who conduct illicit trade along the Kenya – Ethiopia border. The exercise is on-going with reconnaissance to establish other remaining illegal entries and seal them off," the statement read in part.
The Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) had previously sounded an alarm over the illegal entry points being used to bring contraband goods into the country.
Speaking in November 2019, KRA Deputy Commissioner for Customs and Border Control, Samuel Kamau, announced that the authority was stepping up efforts to combat smuggling on the border, stating that the objective was to have the border conform to global standards.
Other than hurting the KRA's coffers, smuggling is also considered a threat to national security, a factor that explains the involvement of the military.
At the same time, however, some have called for the military to be deployed to man Kenya's borders with other neighbours in the East African Community (EAC) during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Proponents of the move, such as Nambale MP Bunyasi Sakwa, urged President Uhuru Kenyatta to deploy the military to Kenya's border with Tanzania.
A diplomatic tiff that followed Uhuru's move to shut the border for passengers saw Tanzania respond with measures banning entry of Kenyan trucks, resulting in chaos at border points.
Speaking on Tuesday, May 19, Sakwa claimed that truck drivers from Tanzania were sneaking into Kenya to avoid Covid-19 testing through illegal entry points.
"Kenya must be serious. Let us join the president in his war against Coronavirus. However, we urge him to deploy KDF to man the borders as there are panya routes that are being used to sneak into Kenya.
"Let the KDF be spread along the borders as the police man entry points and nearby villages. We have neighbours who are ill-minded and have derailed the fight against Covid-19," Sakwa told the press.
