Evaluation of Border Security and Counterterrorism Strategies: A Case Study of the Mandera Border Point in Kenya

Abstract

This study assumes that tightening Kenya's borders, more so against terror attacks by groups like Al-Shabaab, requires evaluation and improvement of current measures with evidence-based practice. This study assessed border security and counterterrorism on the Kenya-Somalia border, especially at Mandera Border Point. Border security remains a cause of concern due to ongoing threats posed by terror groups such as Al-Shabaab. The study assesses the effectiveness of existing security protocols and identifies problems with implementing counterterrorism strategies. The conclusions are of valuable use to policymakers, security agencies, and scholars who seek to enhance Kenya's border security regime. The study was guided by three objectives: to determine the specific border security strategies applied at Mandera Border Point along the Kenya-Somalia border; assess the effectiveness of border security policies on counterterrorism at Mandera Border Point along the Kenya-Somalia border; analyze the challenges and opportunities in implementing border security strategies on counterterrorism at Mandera Border Point along the Kenya-Somalia border. The study was guided by Securitization Theory and Statism Theory, which underpin the securitization of the border and the state-centric notions of counterterrorism. Descriptive design was employed, and both qualitative and quantitative approaches were used. The population targeted included 205 participants from key security and regulatory agencies, including the Anti-Terror Police Unit (ATPU), Kenya Police Service (KPS), Administration Police (APS), National Counterterrorism Centre (NCTC), National Intelligence Service (NIS), Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA), among others. Through snowballing, stratified random, and purposive techniques, a sample of 136 respondents were sampled. Data were collected using semi-structured questionnaires and key informant interviews. Quantitative data were analyzed using SPSS version 21 based on descriptive and inferential statistics, and qualitative data were analyzed using content analysis. It emerged that the creation of special security units was the major border security approach. Seventy-two percent of the respondents concur that border policies facilitated immigration control. Nevertheless, 50% of the respondents noted that there was a critical lack of proper training for personnel manning border security. Intensified inter-agency cooperation, the establishment of joint task forces, and regular training would make border security operations more efficient, as it is suggested. Enhancing such measures will promote Kenya's ability to fight cross-border terrorism. The study contributes to knowledge through empirical data on the effectiveness and weakness of security measures at the border and counterterrorism along the Kenya-Somalia border, Mandera in particular. It highlights areas of inadequacies in staff training and interagency collaboration, proposing practical changes for policy and operational transformation.