This archive report was first published on 7 August 2019.
Kenya's National Assembly is considering a motion that could see the military deployed to the country's maritime border with Somalia, a move that has sparked concerns over the potential loss of vast tracts of sea territory.
The motion, co-sponsored by Majority Leader Aden Duale and Minority Leader John Mbadi, seeks to empower the government to use all necessary means, including military force, to protect the country's sovereignty and territorial integrity.
According to the motion, the government should first explore diplomatic channels to resolve the dispute with Somalia, which has filed a case at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) seeking to redraw the maritime boundary.
However, if diplomacy fails, the motion suggests that the government should consider deploying the military to protect the country's interests.
The ICJ is set to hear the case between September 9 and 13, with Kenya insisting that the marine boundary is determined by a parallel line of latitude to the east, as per the standards set by colonial powers.
Somalia, on the other hand, is seeking to redraw the boundary to a diagonal flow, which could result in Kenya losing up to 100,000km2 of sea territory, potentially containing huge amounts of hydrocarbons.
