Kenya‑Somalia diplomatic row over passport

On 24 June 2024 Somalia’s second deputy prime minister, Jibril Abdirashid Haji, arrived in Nairobi on a Saacid Airlines flight. Immigration officials noted that, in addition to his Somali diplomatic passport and a Kenyan visa, he was in possession of a Kenyan passport they deemed suspicious. Haji admitted holding the Kenyan document but refused to surrender it, insisting on a court hearing. He was detained in the airport’s VIP lounge and, after a day’s brief confinement, was escorted onto a Daallo Airlines flight back to Mogadishu on 25 June 2024.

Kenyan authorities later clarified that the anti‑terrorism police barred Haji from entry, citing serious security concerns and alleging links to armed groups operating along the Kenya‑Somalia border, as well as fraudulently obtaining the Kenyan passport. No public evidence was presented, and neither the Somali government nor Haji offered comment. The episode revived worries about illegal acquisition of Kenyan identity documents and added strain to an already sensitive bilateral relationship.

In July 2026 Kenyan immigration and counter‑terrorism officials detained and deported Somali State Minister Abshir Mohamed Ahmed (also known as Abshir Bukhari) after questioning a Kenyan passport he allegedly possessed. The minister had entered Nairobi on a Somali diplomatic passport, and authorities again suggested the Kenyan document might be fraudulent and hinted at possible links to terrorism financing. Somalia summoned the Kenyan ambassador for clarification, but both governments refrained from issuing official comments. The recurrence of passport‑fraud allegations underscores a continuing diplomatic tension between the two neighbours.