In the olden days, Kenyan communities used to carry out tasks like harvesting, planting, hunting, fetching firewood and water jointly. This implied there was sharing of resources, thoughts and manpower to ensure efficiency was achieved in undertaking the said tasks.

The term Coordinated Border Management (CBM) refers to a coordinated approach by Border control agencies, both domestic and international, in the context of seeking greater efficiencies over managing trade and travel flows, while maintaining a balance with compliance requirements with their individual legal mandate

Prior to the establishment of CBM, Ministries, Departments and Agencies with border function faced a myriad of challenges, which included but not limited to;

• Working in silo
• In conflict and competition
• Suspicion/mistrust among themselves
• Feeling of superiority complex
• Overlapping mandates
• Hoarding of information
• Non sharing of resources
• Generally not embracing the whole of government approach in border management

Coordinated Border Management in Kenya was established through the enactment of the Security Laws (Amendment) Act of 2014 that established the Border Control and Operations Coordination Committee (BCOCC).

• To formulate policies and programmes for the management and control of Ports of Entry and Exit (PoEs)
• To coordinate the exchange of information between agencies responsible for the security and management of the borders at the designated ports of entry/exit
• Ensure compliance with standards by the respective agencies to ensure the effective and efficient management of operations at the designated ports of entry/exits;
• Exercise oversight authority over operations of the respective agencies at the Ports of Entry and Exit.

BCOCC under section 5C of the Act mentioned, was able to create the following bodies;

• Border Management Secretariat (BMS)
• Border Management Committees (BMCs) in all legal and operational ports of entry and exit in the three border environments of Land, Air and Maritime.
• Joint Operations Centers (JOCs) at Kilindini Port, Jomo Kenyatta International Airport and Namanga One Stop Border Post.

Key:

NSC (National Security Council)

NSAC (National Security Advisory Committee),

BCOCC (Border Control and Operations Coordination Committee)

BMS (Border Management Secretariat) BMC (Border Management Committee)

JOC (Joint Operation Centre)

CBM mandate in KRA is currently hosted in Customs & Border Control Department. The following are among the roles undertaken by the Department to enhance coordination among border agencies:-

• Trade Facilitation – Automated customs systems e.g. Integrated Customs Management System (ICMS), Regional Electronic Cargo Tracking (RECTS), Baggage and Cargo Scanners, K9 among others.
• Protection of Society – Ensuring that contraband goods like electronics, medicines, clothes and Pornographic materials which compromise the health and safety of the society as well as domestic industries are not imported into the country
• Compilation of Trade Statistics-This is relevant to the Government to enable establishment of strong Fiscal and Monetary policies.
• Chair Border Management Committees(BMC) in all Land borders
• Lead Agency in One Stop Border Post(OSBP) and all land borders
• Coordinate acquisition of land under the BCOCC framework and establishment of new Ports entry/exit eg. Konyao(west Pokot) Lomokori (Turkana)
• Chair Joint Border Operation Committees(JBOC) in OSBPs
• Spear head border integrity programs to prevent detect and deter corruption in ports of entry/exit
• Joint enforcement activities like Patrols, verification of cargo, Rummaging of aircrafts and buses and Destruction of Seized goods.