MOGADISHU — Diplomatic tensions between Kenya and Somalia have escalated after Kenyan authorities reportedly denied entry to Somalia’s State Minister at the Presidency, Abshir Bukhaari, and returned him to Mogadishu over a passport-related dispute, days after a similar incident involving the country’s Second Deputy Prime Minister.
According to reports, Kenyan immigration officials questioned a Kenyan passport allegedly linked to Bukhaari upon his arrival in Nairobi, preventing him from entering the country. The incident has added to growing diplomatic friction between the neighboring states over citizenship documentation and immigration procedures.
The Somali government has reportedly summoned Kenya’s ambassador to demand an explanation, describing the repeated denial of entry to senior Somali officials as a serious diplomatic matter that risks undermining bilateral relations.
The latest dispute follows the deportation of Somalia’s Second Deputy Prime Minister, Jibril Abdirashid Haji, in June after Kenyan authorities alleged he was traveling on a fraudulently obtained Kenyan passport. Somalia rejected the move, triggering diplomatic protests between the two governments.
The incidents come despite longstanding cooperation between Kenya and Somalia on regional security, trade and efforts to combat the al-Shabaab militant group. Analysts warn that continued diplomatic tensions could complicate cooperation on cross-border security, migration and economic ties between the Horn of Africa neighbors.
