NAIROBI, July 27 — Kenya has reportedly denied entry to Somalia’s State Minister at the Presidency, Abshir Bukhaari, and returned him to Mogadishu after immigration officials questioned a Kenyan passport he was allegedly carrying, marking the second such case involving a senior Somalia official in just over a month and raising fresh concerns about diplomatic relations between the neighboring countries.
Bukhaari, who previously served as First Deputy Speaker of Somalia’s Upper House, was reportedly stopped by immigration authorities upon arrival at Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport on Sunday before being placed on a return flight to Mogadishu. Kenyan authorities have not publicly explained the reasons for the decision, while the Somali government has yet to officially address the allegations surrounding the travel documents.
The incident follows a similar case in late June, when Somalia’s Second Deputy Prime Minister, Jibril Abdirashid Haji, was denied entry into Kenya after immigration officials alleged he had fraudulently obtained a Kenyan passport. According to a Kenyan police report cited by Reuters, Haji entered Kenya using a Somalia diplomatic passport with a valid visa but came under scrutiny after officials suspected he also possessed a Kenyan passport obtained unlawfully. He was later returned to Mogadishu.
Somalia responded to the latest incident by summoning Kenya’s ambassador in Mogadishu to seek clarification over the reported deportation of Bukhaari and members of his delegation, signaling a formal diplomatic protest. Somalia officials argued that the treatment of senior government representatives could negatively affect bilateral relations between the two countries.
Neither the Kenyan government nor the Somalian government has issued a detailed official statement explaining the circumstances surrounding Bukhaari’s reported denial of entry. Kenyan immigration authorities have also not publicly commented on the allegations that the minister was carrying a Kenyan passport.
The latest incident is likely to place additional strain on relations between Kenya and Somalia, which have periodically faced diplomatic disagreements despite maintaining close cooperation on regional security, trade and counterterrorism.
(Reporting by Horn Diplomat Desk; Editing by Desk)
