Somalia State Minister Reportedly Denied Entry Into Kenya, Deported From JKIA.
Written by Boaz Nyabuto on July 27, 2026
A diplomatic row could be brewing between Kenya and Somalia after Somalia’s State Minister at the Presidency, Abshir Bukhaari, was reportedly denied entry into Kenya and returned to Mogadishu over questions surrounding the Kenyan passport he was allegedly travelling with.
The incident reportedly occurred on Sunday at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA), where Kenyan immigration officials are said to have declined 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 using to travel.
However, the exact circumstances surrounding the document have not been officially disclosed.
As of the time of publication, neither the Kenyan nor the Somali government had issued an official statement on the reported incident or the reasons behind the decision.
Reports indicate that Somalia has summoned Kenya’s ambassador for talks on Monday, July 27, to seek clarification over the reported denial of entry to several Somali federal officials, a move that could heighten diplomatic tensions between the two neighbouring countries.
The latest incident comes barely a month after Somalia’s Deputy Prime Minister, Jibril Abdirashid Haji, was also reportedly denied entry into Kenya over allegations that he possessed a fraudulently acquired Kenyan passport.
Haji arrived at JKIA on a Saacid Airlines flight from Mogadishu. He presented a valid Somali diplomatic passport and a Kenyan visa before immigration officials questioned him over allegations that he also possessed a fraudulently acquired Kenyan passport.
Sources familiar with the matter alleged that the Deputy Prime Minister admitted to possessing a Kenyan passport but declined to surrender it, arguing that the matter should instead be resolved through the courts.
He was subsequently held at the airport’s VIP lounge as investigations continued before later being escorted onto a Daallo Airlines flight back to Mogadishu, effectively denying him entry into Kenya.
A police report seen by local media indicated that Haji departed Kenya on June 25, 2026, at 6:45am without incident, while investigations into the alleged acquisition of the Kenyan passport continued.
