A fresh diplomatic row is brewing between Kenya and Somalia after Somalia’s Deputy Prime Minister was reportedly denied entry into Kenya and deported over allegations that he possessed a fraudulently acquired Kenyan passport.
The incident occurred on Wednesday evening at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, where Somalia’s Deputy Prime Minister, Jibril Abdirashid Haji, arrived aboard a Saacid Airlines flight from Mogadishu. According to immigration sources, Haji presented a valid Somali diplomatic passport and an entry visa upon arrival. However, immigration officers allegedly flagged him after suspecting that he was also in possession of a Kenyan passport believed to have been obtained fraudulently.
Sources familiar with the matter claim the Somali official acknowledged having the Kenyan passport but declined to surrender it to immigration authorities, insisting that the matter be handled through a court process.
The Standoff and Deportation
The standoff prompted senior immigration officials to detain Haji at the JKIA VIP Lounge as investigations into his travel documents continued. He was later escorted onto a Daallo Airlines flight bound for Mogadishu, effectively denying him entry into Kenya.
A senior official at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed the deportation. “He departed on 25/06/2026 at 0645hrs with no incident reported,” a police report on the incident indicates.
Neither the Kenyan nor the Somali government had issued an official statement on the incident by the time of publication.
Concerns Over Fraudulent Passports
A senior government official familiar with the matter said authorities are increasingly concerned about the rising number of foreign nationals acquiring Kenyan passports illegally through corrupt networks. Investigations into the circumstances surrounding the alleged acquisition of the passport are ongoing.
The incident highlights the growing tension between the two East African neighbors, who have had a complex relationship marked by territorial disputes and trade disagreements.
The Bottom Line
Kenya has deported Somalia’s Deputy Prime Minister, Jibril Abdirashid Haji, after he was allegedly found in possession of a fraudulently acquired Kenyan passport. The incident occurred at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi. Haji was detained at the VIP Lounge and later escorted onto a flight back to Mogadishu. Investigations are ongoing, and neither government has issued an official statement.
