Somalia cabinet ministers and senior government officials holding Kenyan passports or national identity cards have been ordered to surrender the documents immediately.
According to the Somali media reports on August 1, the directive was issued by President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud during a Cabinet meeting in Mogadishu, according to government sources familiar with the discussions.
“Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has ordered cabinet ministers and senior government officials holding Kenyan passports or national identity cards to surrender the documents immediately. The directive was issued during a Cabinet meeting chaired by the President in Mogadishu on Thursday, according to government sources familiar with the discussions,” the reports stated.
Somali Officials Face Tough Choice Over Kenyan Passports
Officials affected by the order have reportedly been instructed to choose between retaining their government positions and keeping their Kenyan passports and national identity documents.
The order comes despite Somalia’s citizenship laws recognizing dual citizenship.
Several ministers reportedly questioned the directive during the Cabinet meeting, arguing that holding dual nationality is permitted under Somali law.
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The directive follows reports that Somalia’s State Minister Abshir Bukhaari and Second Deputy Prime Minister Jibril Abdirashid Haji were recently denied entry at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA).
Kenyan immigration officials reportedly questioned the travel documents the two senior officials were carrying. The incident has heightened diplomatic tensions between Kenya and Somalia.
The Somalian media reported that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned Kenya’s ambassador to Mogadishu to seek an explanation over the treatment of the two officials, although Kenyan authorities have not publicly confirmed that such a meeting took place.
Somali State Officials Deported
The two recent Somali officials reportedly turned back by Kenya were State Minister at the Presidency Abshir Bukhaari and Second Deputy Prime Minister Jibril Abdirashid Haji. The reported reasons were passport-related issues.
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Kenyan authorities allegedly questioned or rejected the Kenyan passports they were carrying, with some reports describing the documents as improperly obtained or fraudulent.
In June 2026, Somalia’s Second Deputy Prime Minister Jibril Abdirashid Haji was reportedly turned back after Kenyan authorities questioned a Kenyan passport he was alleged to possess.
In July 2026, State Minister at the Presidency Abshir Bukhaari was also reportedly denied entry into Kenya after immigration officials raised questions about the travel document he was carrying.
The two incidents have fueled diplomatic tensions between Kenya and Somalia and intensified scrutiny over reports that some senior Somali officials possess Kenyan passports or national identity documents.
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