Somalia summons Kenya’s ambassador after state minister Abshir Bukhaari reportedly deported from Nairobi

MOGADISHU (Somaliguardian) – Somalia has summoned Kenya’s ambassador for talks after State Minister at the Presidency Abshir Bukhaari was reportedly denied entry into Kenya upon arrival at Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) and deported back to Mogadishu on Sunday, according to government sources and multiple reports, in a development that threatens to deepen diplomatic tensions between the neighboring countries.

Government sources said Somalia’s Foreign Ministry called in Kenya’s ambassador for consultations on Monday following reports that Bukhaari and several other Somali federal officials were denied entry upon arrival.

The meeting is expected to seek clarification from Kenyan authorities over the reported incidents, which could become a fresh diplomatic flashpoint between Mogadishu and Nairobi. Neither the Somali nor Kenyan governments has publicly commented on the reports.

Sources familiar with the matter said Kenyan immigration authorities denied Bukhaari entry because he was travelling on a Kenyan passport. The circumstances surrounding the reported decision have not been officially confirmed.

The reported deportation comes only weeks after Somalia’s Deputy Prime Minister Jibril Abdirashid was also reportedly denied entry into Kenya after arriving on a Kenyan passport before being deported to Mogadishu. Somali authorities did not publicly explain that incident, fueling speculation over the state of relations between the two countries and the reasons behind the reported immigration actions.

Former Somali federal lawmaker Abdillahi Hashi Abib, who was removed from parliament after criticizing the government, claimed the latest incident was linked to investigations involving individuals close to President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud.

Writing on X, Abib alleged that Bukhaari, whom he described as a senior member of the president’s inner circle and a Dam Jadiid figure, entered Kenya using two passports, including what he claimed was an illegally obtained Kenyan passport.

Abib further alleged that Bukhaari was carrying cash linked to money laundering and the possible misuse of U.S. taxpayer funds. He also claimed Kenyan authorities were implementing an agreement with the United States to target Somali officials allegedly connected to financial crimes and investments in Nairobi’s real estate sector.

Somaliguardian could not independently verify those allegations. No evidence has been publicly presented by the Kenyan, Somali or U.S. governments to substantiate the claims, and none of the three governments has publicly linked Bukhaari or other Somali officials to any such investigation.

Neither Bukhaari nor Somalia’s presidency has publicly responded to Abib’s allegations. Kenyan authorities have likewise not commented on the reported deportation or the claims circulating on social media.

The reported incident adds another layer of uncertainty to relations between Somalia and Kenya, whose cooperation spans security, trade, diplomacy and regional counterterrorism efforts. Whether the latest episode develops into a wider diplomatic dispute is likely to depend on the outcome of the consultations between Somalia’s Foreign Ministry and Kenya’s ambassador, as both governments come under increasing pressure to clarify the circumstances surrounding the reported deportations.

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