Kenya and Somalia reopen border trade, one crossing at a time
Traders return to a formal crossing when it is faster than the informal one, not when it is legal.
Trade across this border never fully stopped; it moved to routes that avoid formal crossings. Reopening posts one at a time is an attempt to bring that traffic back within sight of both administrations.
Livestock, khat and consumer goods dominate the flows, and each has its own timing. Perishable trade punishes delay more than duty, so clearance hours matter as much as tariff schedules.
Security arrangements set the pace of any reopening, and they are agreed locally as much as nationally. A crossing works when the people who run it on both sides expect it to still be open next month.
The measure of progress is whether traders shift back to the formal route — which they do only when it is faster, not merely legal.