Somali state minister deported to Mogadishu after Kenya entry denial
NAIROBI, Kenya — A senior Somali presidency official was turned away at Kenya’s main airport on Sunday, with Kenyan media reporting that State Minister at the Presidency Abshir Bukhaari was denied entry at Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport and sent back to Mogadishu.
Bukhaari, who previously served as First Deputy Speaker of Somalia’s Senate, was blocked by immigration officials after questions were raised about the travel documents he presented, according to the reports.
“Sources say Kenyan immigration authorities prevented Bukhaari from entering the country over the Kenyan passport he was travelling with,” Kenyan media reported, offering no additional details about the document or the circumstances that led to the decision.
Neither Kenyan nor Somali officials have publicly confirmed the reported deportation, and no formal explanation has been issued by authorities in either country.
Former Somali federal lawmaker Abdullahi Hashi Abib, who was removed from parliament after criticising the government, posted allegations on social media claiming Bukhaari was tied to investigations involving former President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud.
Abib claimed Bukhaari had two passports, among them a Kenyan travel document that authorities suspected may have been obtained improperly. He also alleged that Bukhaari was carrying a bag with a large sum of undisclosed cash. Those claims have not been independently verified.
In further allegations, Abib claimed people close to President Mohamud were linked to healthcare and daycare fraud schemes in Minnesota in the United States, and that money from the alleged schemes was used to buy property in Nairobi to hide and launder funds.
He also claimed Kenyan authorities were working with the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to examine officials allegedly connected to financial crimes and the transfer of illicit funds into Kenya’s real estate sector.
Kenyan and U.S. authorities have not confirmed the claims, and no public evidence has been presented linking Bukhaari or other Somali officials to the alleged fraud schemes.
The reported airport incident comes at a time when Somalia and Kenya maintain close security and diplomatic ties, including cooperation against Al-Shabaab militants and joint efforts aimed at wider regional stability.
AXADLETM
