Somalia's Deputy Prime Minister, Jibril Abdirashid Haji, has officially surrendered his Kenyan passport, national identity card, and birth certificate in compliance with a presidential directive.
The handover took place during a ceremony in Mogadishu on August 3, where Haji presented the documents to Kenya’s Deputy Ambassador to Somalia, Elias Bare Shill.
Context Behind the Directive
President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud issued an order requiring Somali ministers and senior officials holding Kenyan identification documents either to relinquish them or step down from their positions. This move followed reports that some Somali officials were using Kenyan passports and IDs, raising concerns over document authenticity and cross-border immigration issues.
Haji’s action comes after he was denied entry into Kenya at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in June due to allegations of possessing a fraudulently acquired Kenyan passport.
Diplomatic and Immigration Developments
- The directive was announced on July 30 amid heightened immigration scrutiny between Kenya and Somalia.
- Several Somali officials have faced entry denials or deportations over suspected irregularities in travel documents.
- Kenya's Immigration and Citizens Services Principal Secretary, Belio Kipsang, has refuted claims that non-citizens receive Kenyan passports or IDs, explaining that eligible foreigners are issued alien identification documents instead.
- Recent diplomatic talks between Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi and Somalia’s Foreign Minister Abdisalam Ali in Addis Ababa focused on enhancing consular cooperation and facilitating smoother movement of citizens and officials.
By surrendering his Kenyan documents, Deputy PM Haji becomes the first Somali federal Cabinet member to comply with the presidential order, signaling progress as both countries work to resolve immigration-related tensions.
