A diplomatic dispute could be emerging between Kenya and Somalia after Somalia’s State Minister at the Presidency, Abshir Bukhaari, was reportedly denied entry into Kenya and deported back to Mogadishu over questions surrounding a Kenyan passport he was allegedly travelling with.
The incident is said to have happened on Sunday at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA), where Kenyan immigration officials reportedly declined to allow the senior Somali official into the country before placing him on a return flight to Somalia.
According to multiple media reports, Bukhaari was stopped from entering Kenya because of the Kenyan passport he was allegedly using while travelling. However, details surrounding the ownership and circumstances of the document have not been officially disclosed.
By the time of publication, neither the Kenyan nor Somali governments had issued an official statement confirming the incident or explaining the reasons behind the reported decision.
Reports have indicated that Somalia may summon Kenya’s ambassador on Monday, July 27, to seek clarification over the reported denial of entry involving Somali federal officials.
If confirmed, the move could increase diplomatic tensions between the two neighbouring countries, although reports of the ambassador’s summons had not been independently verified.
The latest incident comes about a month after Somalia’s Deputy Prime Minister Jibril Abdirashid Haji was also reportedly denied entry into Kenya over allegations involving a fraudulently acquired Kenyan passport.
Haji arrived at JKIA aboard a Saacid Airlines flight from Mogadishu and presented a valid Somali diplomatic passport alongside a Kenyan visa. Immigration officials, however, reportedly questioned him over claims that he was also in possession of a Kenyan passport obtained through fraudulent means.
Sources familiar with the matter alleged that Haji acknowledged having a Kenyan passport but declined to surrender it, arguing that the issue should be handled through legal channels.
He was later held at the airport’s VIP lounge as investigations continued before being escorted onto a Daallo Airlines flight back to Mogadishu, effectively preventing his entry into Kenya.
A police report cited by local media indicated that Haji left Kenya on June 25, 2026, at 6:45am without any incident as investigations into the alleged acquisition of the Kenyan passport continued.
The reported cases have renewed questions around citizenship documents, passport issuance procedures, and cross-border diplomatic relations between Kenya and Somalia.