Somalia Summons Kenyan Ambassador After Minister Reportedly Denied Entry

Somalia’s federal government has summoned Kenya’s ambassador on Monday after Somali State Minister Abshir Bukhaari was reportedly denied entry into Kenya and sent back to Mogadishu over questions about a Kenyan passport he was allegedly carrying.

The incident, which has not been officially confirmed by either government, could further strain diplomatic relations between the two neighboring countries.

The incident reportedly occurred Sunday at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi, where Kenyan immigration officials are said to have refused to admit the senior Somali official before placing him on a return flight to Mogadishu.

According to multiple media reports, Bukhaari was denied entry because of the Kenyan passport he was allegedly using to travel.

The exact circumstances surrounding the document have not been officially disclosed.

The case comes about a month after Somalia’s Deputy Prime Minister Jibril Abdirashid Haji was also denied entry into Kenya over allegations that he had fraudulently obtained a Kenyan passport.

Somalia and Kenya have had a complex diplomatic relationship marked by cooperation on security and trade, as well as periodic tensions over border security, immigration and regional politics.

Ali Hassan, an investigative and a freelance journalist writes from Stadthagen, Germany. [email protected]