Kenya’s Ruto says Somalia president’s term is expiring as uncertainty deepens

NAIROBI (Somaliguardian) – Kenya’s President William Ruto has said that Somalia is entering a politically uncertain phase as the constitutional terms of both its parliament and presidency appear to be reaching or have reached their limits, amid escalating tensions and faltering regional mediation efforts involving Kenya, Ethiopia and Djibouti. “And today, we have an even […]

May 14, 2026 - 12:35

Kenya’s Ruto says Somalia president’s term is expiring as uncertainty deepens

NAIROBI (Somaliguardian) – Kenya’s President William Ruto has said that Somalia is entering a politically uncertain phase as the constitutional terms of both its parliament and presidency appear to be reaching or have reached their limits, amid escalating tensions and faltering regional mediation efforts involving Kenya, Ethiopia and Djibouti.

“And today, we have an even much more complicated situation because the term of the parliament there expired. The term of the president, I think, is expiring,” Ruto said in an interview with France 24.

“And that situation, nobody knows where it is going because we have tried to broker an engagement between the states and the government in Somalia. We have not been very successful, and we are still pushing between Ethiopia, ourselves as Kenya, and Djibouti. We are still trying to find a solution to it.”

Ruto further questioned the prospects of reopening the long-closed Kenya-Somalia border, citing insecurity linked to renewed hostilities between Somali federal forces and Jubaland regional troops, which he said have destabilised progress in diplomatic engagement.

“We were moving very well until a huge disagreement between the government in Mogadishu and the states and unfortunately there was an escalation of war between Somali National Army and the Jubaland forces which are right at the border in Kenya,” he added.

The Kenyan leader said clashes near Raskamboni resulted in Somali troops crossing into Kenyan territory, complicating an already fragile security situation.

“In fact, at that point, some of the Somali National Army were pushed into Kenya and that complicated the already situation that was existing there. We had to support members of the Somali National Army, fly them, assist them so that we could pacify and reduce the war,” Ruto said.

The remarks come as Somalia approaches the end of President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s term, although the president maintains he still has one additional year in office, setting up a political standoff that has drawn in regional and Western diplomatic actors.

The comments also coincide with intensified mediation efforts by United States and United Kingdom diplomats in Mogadishu, who have convened talks between the Somali president and opposition figures at the fortified Halane base, after regional initiatives by Horn of Africa states failed to produce a breakthrough.