Kenya Denies Entry to Somali State Minister

Diplomatic tensions between Kenya and Somalia have deepened after Kenyan authorities reportedly denied entry to Somalia’s State Minister at the Presidency, Abshir Bukhaari, at Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.

According to Anadolu Agency, Bukhaari was turned back on Monday after immigration officials questioned a Kenyan passport he was allegedly carrying. He was reportedly placed on a return flight to Mogadishu. Kenyan and Somali authorities had not issued official statements on the incident at the time of reporting.

The development comes less than a month after Somalia’s Second Deputy Prime Minister, Jibril Abdirashid Haji, was also denied entry into Kenya over allegations that he had fraudulently obtained a Kenyan passport. Kenyan authorities said Haji arrived using a Somali diplomatic passport and a valid visa but declined to surrender the Kenyan passport when questioned. He was subsequently returned to Mogadishu.

Somali media reported that the latest incident prompted Somalia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs to summon Kenya’s ambassador in Mogadishu to seek an explanation over the treatment of its senior officials. Kenyan authorities have not publicly confirmed whether such a meeting took place.

The repeated incidents have drawn attention to allegations that some senior Somali officials possess Kenyan travel documents. Kenyan authorities are reportedly investigating possible irregularities surrounding the issuance of the passports.

The two neighbouring countries have worked closely in recent years on regional security and efforts to combat the Al-Shabaab militant group. It remains unclear whether the latest incident will affect ongoing bilateral cooperation, as neither government has announced any diplomatic measures beyond the reported developments.

SOURCE: AA