Kenya Tightens Border Security as Nearly 40,000 Ethiopians Flee Conflict into Moyale

Security forces have stepped up border patrols in Moyale after stray bullets and unexploded ordnance landed on the Kenyan side of the frontier, compounding a worsening humanitarian crisis that has seen nearly 40,000 Ethiopians flee into the town.

Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja ordered the deployment of extra officers to the border town on November 5, instructing security teams to strengthen surveillance and protect local residents and their property. The order follows escalating cross-border disruption caused by intense fighting between community groups in neighbouring Ethiopia.

Beyond the physical danger posed by stray fire, the violent conflict has disrupted daily life, local security, and cross-border trade in a region where communities on both sides of the frontier share deep family, social, and commercial ties.

The influx follows heavy clashes that erupted around October 22, 2026, driven by longstanding disputes between Ethiopia’s Oromia and Somali regional administrations over territorial boundaries and administrative control. Tensions flared in the contested Moyale area following a dispute over the raising of the Somali regional flag and the reported killing of a 13-year-old girl.

The escalation triggered a mass displacement across the border. By October 29, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) reported a sharp increase in arrivals, noting that women and children make up the majority of those fleeing. The agency expressed grave concerns over their safety and access to basic services.

Displaced families have sought shelter in schools, churches, and temporary camps across Moyale, while others have been taken in by host communities and local relatives. Humanitarian agencies say the most urgent needs include food, safe drinking water, emergency shelter, healthcare, and basic sanitation.

Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi confirmed that the Kenyan government is working alongside county authorities, the Department of Refugee Services, UNHCR, and relief organisations to coordinate emergency assistance.

Mudavadi also revealed he had engaged his Ethiopian counterpart directly, asking Addis Ababa to intervene, calm local tensions, and restore stability so the displaced population can safely return home.

"The issue is that from the Ethiopian side, they have been having a little bit of tension over there. So, the problem has caused about 40,000 people to evacuate to Kenya," Mudavadi said. "I told him to try and calm the situation in their country so that the refugees return to their homes."According to Mudavadi, the Ethiopian government assured Kenya it is taking steps to de-escalate the conflict.

"They have assured us that they will do their best to return the issues to normalcy and then the people can go back," he added.