Miraa-call? Somaliland President to Meet with Uhuru

President Uhuru Kenyatta is set to host Somaliland President Muse Bihi.

Kenya and Somalia are in a frosty alliance that has now seen all vital businesses between the neighbouring countries curtailed.

Last week, Kenyan High Commissioner in Somalia was expelled after the neighbours accused Kenya of interference and meddling in Somalia’s internal affairs.

The meeting between President Uhuru Kenyatta and Somaliland President Muse Bihi will have several members of his cabinet.

According to Somaliland Ministry of Foreign Affairs, President Bihi left Hargeisa on Sunday 13, for a three-day official visit to Kenya.

Arrived in Nairobi, Kenya to foster the historic and brotherly Somaliland-Kenyan relationship. During this State visit, I will have talks with H.E. Uhuru Kenyatta, the President of the Republic of Kenya. Mutual interests of our two nations will be at the top of the agenda. pic.twitter.com/QoLJ5V4no5

— Muse Bihi Abdi (@musebiihi) December 13, 2020

The visit by the leader of the self-declared country comes days after Mogadishu expelled Kenya’s top diplomat to Somalia Maj Gen (rtd) Lucas Tambo.

Mogadishu accused Nairobi of meddling in its upcoming elections by putting pressure on the regional leader of Jubaland, Ahmed Mohamed Islaam Madobe, to walk back on a poll agreement brokered two months ago.

Including holding bilateral talks with President Uhuru Kenyatta, the Somalians President and his delegation will meet Kenyan officials,

This is the first official visit to Nairobi by President Muse Bihi since he took over as the leader of Somaliland in 2017.

President Kenyatta is in pursuit of direct diplomatic representation in Hargeisa.

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kenya has no diplomatic presence in Somaliland at the moment.

And, the visit by President Bihi is expected to provide a platform through which the two countries can co-operate in maintaining security and initiating economic ties.

“Stronger relations between Kenya and Somaliland would bolster security, economic and social interactions between the two parties. Somaliland is an important partner in the Horn of Africa region in the fight against terrorism and particularly Al-Shabaab,” the ministry said on Sunday.

Last week, Miraa farmers begged the President to mediate the miraa ban in the second largest Miraa export market-Somalia.