Monday July 27, 2026
President William Ruto and Somali President Hassan Mohamud during a previous visit to State House, Nairobi. PCS
Mogadishu (AX) — Somalia’s federal government summoned Kenya’s ambassador on Monday following reports that Somali State Minister Abshir Bukhaari was refused entry to Kenya and returned to Mogadishu amid questions over a Kenyan passport he was allegedly carrying.
Neither government has officially confirmed the episode, which risks adding fresh pressure to relations between the neighboring countries.
The confrontation reportedly unfolded Sunday at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi. Kenyan immigration officers are said to have blocked the senior Somali official from entering the country and placed him on a flight back to Mogadishu.
Multiple media reports said Bukhaari was turned away because of the Kenyan passport he was allegedly using for the journey.
Officials have not publicly clarified the precise circumstances surrounding the document.
The dispute follows a similar case about a month ago, when Somalia’s Deputy Prime Minister Jibril Abdirashid Haji was denied entry to Kenya over allegations that he had fraudulently obtained a Kenyan passport.
Somalia and Kenya maintain a complicated diplomatic relationship, balancing cooperation on trade and security with recurring friction over immigration, border security and regional politics.
