Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja has ordered the deployment of additional police officers to Moyale amid escalating intercommunal clashes in neighbouring Ethiopia that have triggered a massive humanitarian influx and repeated security incidents on the Kenyan side of the border.
Kanja made the announcement on Thursday, November 5, 2026, after leading a delegation of senior security chiefs to the border town for a strategic assessment of the situation.
According to a statement from the National Police Service, the Inspector General chaired a meeting with regional security officials before announcing the reinforcements.
“To bolster defensive and preventive capabilities, the Inspector General announced the deployment of additional police officers to reinforce existing security,” the NPS statement said. The service did not specify the exact number of officers deployed or the timeline for their arrival.
Speaking to residents and local leaders during the visit, Kanja emphasised that the protection of Kenyan lives and property along the volatile border remained the government’s foremost concern.
He assured residents that the government was prioritising their safety while also working to assist Kenyans stranded across the border in Ethiopia.
“Securing Kenyans living along the border is our top priority. We are also keen on safely evacuating several truck drivers and other Kenyans stuck on the Ethiopian side,” Kanja said.
He acknowledged the difficulty of containing the fallout from a neighbouring conflict, noting that “it is challenging to control stray bullets when there is war in a neighbouring country”.
The IG also visited a camp hosting displaced families, where he assured them of maximum security and coordinated humanitarian support alongside relief partners. He urged residents to cooperate with security agencies by sharing timely information.
Kanja was accompanied by Director of Criminal Investigations Mohamed Amin, General Service Unit Commandant Johana Tonui, and Eastern Regional Commissioner Jacob Ouma, among other senior officers.
The security reinforcement followed weeks of deadly violence in Ethiopia’s Moyale area, where clashes between forces aligned with the Oromia and Somali regional administrations erupted in late October.
The fighting reportedly stemmed from a territorial dispute aggravated by the killing of a 13-year-old girl in an area administered by the Somali regional administration, as well as tensions over the display of the Somali regional flag in Oromo territory.
The humanitarian toll has been significant, with thousands of people fleeing the violence and crossing into Kenya in search of safety.
According to the International Organization for Migration, an estimated 50,000 people had crossed into Kenya as of early November, with most sheltering with host communities or in temporary sites in Moyale, Marsabit County.
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The Kenya Red Cross Society, which has been providing emergency aid, noted that the number of displaced people had risen rapidly from initial estimates of 36,000.
The violence has also spilled into Kenyan territory, resulting in fatalities and security threats among border communities.
On November 2, a 65-year-old Kenyan woman, Amina Guchi, was killed by a suspected stray bullet while at the Moyale County offices.
Days earlier, security officers had safely detonated three rocket-propelled grenades that landed near Sessi Primary School and the Meteorological Department offices.
The deteriorating security situation also forced the relocation of two Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education examination centres in Moyale to protect candidates.
Moyale Cross-border Committee Vice-Chairman Mohamed Guyo welcomed the additional deployment but stressed that sustained vigilance was essential to prevent the conflict from spreading further into Kenya.
He said residents, particularly children, had been affected by the insecurity and called for more patrols along the border to reassure communities.
“The government must enhance security and patrols along the border. Currently, children are traumatised and terrified whenever night sets in,” Guyo said. He added that local elders were working to sensitise communities on both sides of the border to embrace peace and avert a spillover.
The government has said it is actively engaging the Federal Government of Ethiopia to resolve the underlying conflict and facilitate the return of displaced persons.
Kanja said diplomatic efforts were ongoing to address the fighting and ensure Kenyans stranded in Ethiopia could safely return home.
“A lot of effort is being put into ensuring the conflict among our neighbours is resolved. This will also facilitate the movement of Kenyans who are stranded across the border,” Kanja said.
As of Thursday, the security situation in Ethiopian Moyale remained volatile, with humanitarian access constrained in some border areas.
