Nairobi — Kenyan President William Ruto said Thursday that renewed instability in Somalia had forced Nairobi to keep its border with neighboring Somalia closed, nearly 15 years after the frontier was first shut.

Speaking in an interview with France 24 during the Africa Champions Summit in Nairobi, Ruto said Kenya had initially planned to reopen the border in April this year but reversed course because of worsening political and security tensions inside Somalia.

"We were progressing well until a major disagreement emerged between the government in Mogadishu and the federal member states," Ruto said, referring to growing disputes between Somalia's federal authorities and regional administrations.

The Kenyan leader said clashes involving the Somali National Army and forces linked to federal member states had undermined earlier efforts aimed at restoring cooperation and improving cross-border security.

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Ruto specifically cited confrontations involving security forces from Jubaland near the Kenya-Somalia border, saying the violence had directly affected Kenya's security situation.

"At one point, some Somali National Army troops were pushed into Kenyan territory, complicating the situation further," he said, adding that Kenyan authorities had intervened to help de-escalate the fighting.

Kenya closed much of its border with Somalia in 2011 following a surge in militant attacks and security threats linked to the Islamist armed group Al-Shabaab.

Ruto said ongoing political uncertainty in Somalia had also contributed to the decision to delay reopening the frontier.

"The parliamentary term there is ending, the president's term is also nearing its end, and nobody is certain where the situation is heading, so for now the border remains closed," he said.

The comments come amid heightened political tensions in Somalia over electoral arrangements and relations between the federal government and several regional states.