NAIROBI, Oct 27 (Axadle) – On a brisk Friday morning, Jubaland’s head honcho, Ahmed Mohamed Islam—more affectionately dubbed Ahmed Madobe—touched down in Nairobi. He was whisked away courtesy of a plane dispatched by good neighbor Kenya, Axadle confirmed through trusted grapevine.

Madobe’s agenda was an exclusive, no-peek discussion with Kenya’s President, William Ruto, and the country’s intelligence top dog, Noordin Haji. Whispers from well-placed sources suggest this tête-à-tête was hatched following Somalia’s leader, President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s recent hustle over to Kenya.

Word on the street is that President Mohamud is leaning on Kenya’s diplomacy clout to nudge Madobe into backing Villa Somalia’s blueprint to gift FMS bigwigs with extended tenures. Madobe seems to be giving that proposal a hard pass. Villa Somalia, however, sees these extensions as cornerstones in Mohamud’s intricate endgame, especially since his clock’s ticking. The political pundits believe this move might just be the ace Mohamud needs to rally FMS leaders to his camp, potentially lining up the stars for his own term extension.

Yet, the wind of opinion among Somalia’s political barometer suggests otherwise. They reckon Mohamud hobbling back to foreign aid flags his struggle to hammer out pact with the FMS’ big cheeses nose to nose.

Although the outcomes from Madobe’s one-on-one with Ruto are mum, the streets are buzzing that Madobe will be chilling in Nairobi for a spell longer, due to a hiccup with his flight schedule back to Kismayo. This diplomatic two-step is unveiled against a backdrop of rocky ties with neighbor Ethiopia, amidst claims of Ethiopia’s dabbling in Somalia’s internal gears.

Bogged down by home-grown puzzles and cross-border estrangement, Mohamud’s tap on Kenya’s shoulder adds more layers to Somalia’s political kaleidoscope.