A dispute over Kenyan passports held by senior Somali officials is raising questions about citizenship, political loyalty and the complex relationship between Nairobi and Mogadishu.
The issue intensified after Somalia directed government officials holding Kenyan passports to surrender them or risk losing their positions.
The row carries wider implications because Kenya and Somalia share close social, economic and security ties. The two countries share a long border and cooperate on trade, cross-border movement, refugees and the fight against al-Shabaab.
Many people on both sides also maintain longstanding family and community connections across the frontier.
The central question asks whether Somalia’s directive simply enforces citizenship rules or reveals deeper concerns over Kenyan influence and political loyalty.
How the Kenya-Somalia Passport Dispute Began
The diplomatic row erupted on 24 June 2026, when Somalia’s Second Deputy Prime Minister, Jibril Abdirashid Haji, arrived at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi aboard a Saacid Airlines flight from Mogadishu.
Haji travelled with a valid Somali diplomatic passport and a Kenyan visa, but immigration officials stopped him during routine clearance after suspecting that he had fraudulently obtained a Kenyan passport. Haji admitted that he possessed the Kenyan travel document but refused to surrender it, insisting that he would only produce it before a court.
Immigration officers held Haji at the VIP lounge in Terminal 2 and returned him to Mogadishu the following day aboard a Daallo Airlines flight.
Kenyan authorities described the passport as “fraudulently issued and obtained.” Intelligence reports also alleged that Haji had helped arm clan militias along the Kenya-Somalia border and destabilise strategic towns, adding a security dimension to the passport dispute.
The deportation marked an unusually confrontational move by Nairobi against a senior Somali government official and triggered further tensions between the two neighbours.
Days after Haji’s deportation, Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud directed ministers and senior government officials who held Kenyan passports or national identity cards to surrender the documents immediately.
He told the officials to choose between retaining their government positions and keeping their Kenyan travel documents.
The directive sparked debate within the Somali Cabinet because Somalia’s citizenship laws recognise dual citizenship, but President Hassan Sheikh maintained that senior government officials could not hold foreign documents while serving in government.
The dispute escalated on 27 July 2026 when Kenyan immigration officials denied Somalia’s State Minister at the Presidency, Abshir Bukhaari, entry into the country after questioning a Kenyan passport he allegedly carried.
Somalia’s Foreign Ministry responded by summoning Kenya’s ambassador in Mogadishu and demanding an explanation. The back-to-back incidents also intensified scrutiny of how senior Somali officials acquired Kenyan citizenship and travel documents.
Weeks later, the Second Deputy Prime Minister surrendered his Kenyan passport at the Kenyan Embassy in Mogadishu, becoming the first senior Somali official to comply with President Hassan Sheikh’s directive.
He also returned a birth certificate that erroneously stated that he was born in Kenya.
Haji described the surrender as a voluntary administrative decision that demonstrated his commitment and loyalty to Somalia. He maintained that he had obtained the Kenyan passport genuinely and lawfully and that Kenyan authorities had not requested its return.
The dispute has since widened, with sources indicating that Kenyan authorities placed about 30 Somali government officials on watchlists at Kenyan airports and denied several of them entry.
The developments have revived questions about how senior Somali officials acquired Kenyan citizenship documents and whether Kenya’s immigration systems allowed officials to issue irregular or fraudulent documents.
What began with one senior official’s disputed passport now threatens to expose deeper tensions over citizenship, political loyalty, security and the broader Kenya-Somalia relationship.
Why Somalia is Taking a Hard Line on Dual Citizenship
The deportation of Deputy Prime Minister Jibril Abdirashid Haji and President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s subsequent passport directive form part of a wider push by Somalia to strengthen national sovereignty, enforce political loyalty and limit foreign influence within government.
In March 2026, Somalia’s Parliament approved a new constitution that introduced tighter restrictions on dual citizenship for senior officials. The law requires candidates for top positions, including President, Prime Minister, Speaker and Chief Justice, to renounce foreign nationality.
It also places restrictions on candidates with foreign spouses or foreign mothers, underscoring Somalia’s demand for undivided loyalty among its top leaders.
President Hassan Sheikh has also sought to strengthen federal authority amid resistance from states such as Puntland and Jubaland, which maintain close ties with Kenya and Ethiopia.
These regional relationships have long complicated Nairobi’s role in Somalia and fuelled concerns in Mogadishu about external influence over Somali politics.
The passport directive came at a politically sensitive time.
Hassan Sheikh’s presidential mandate expired in May 2026, while Parliament’s mandate expired in April, leaving Somalia in a period of political uncertainty. Critics have questioned whether recent constitutional changes could help the administration extend its hold on power.
By ordering senior officials to surrender Kenyan passports or risk losing their positions, Hassan Sheikh also sent a clear political message: government officials must place Somali interests above foreign ties.
The move gained further significance because it followed Haji’s deportation from Kenya and allegations linking him to armed clan militias along the border.
The dispute has therefore moved beyond citizenship.
For some Somali leaders, Kenyan passports could raise concerns about divided loyalties or give Nairobi leverage over senior decision-makers.
For Hassan Sheikh’s administration, tightening control over foreign citizenship provides an opportunity to reinforce sovereignty at a time when the government faces growing questions over its authority and political legitimacy.
How Somali Officials Acquired Kenyan Citizenship
The deportation of Deputy Prime Minister Jibril Abdirashid Haji has raised questions about how senior Somali officials acquired Kenyan passports.
Deep historical, social and economic ties between Kenya and Somalia, especially among border communities, have made cross-border movement, trade and family connections common.
Kenyan law allows people to acquire citizenship by birth, descent, registration or naturalisation.
However, critics have questioned the citizenship verification process, particularly for Kenyan Somalis and other communities. Haji’s case intensified those concerns after he surrendered a Kenyan birth certificate that incorrectly stated he was born in Kenya.
The controversy has also put Kenya’s passport system under scrutiny. On 16 March 2026, Immigration Principal Secretary Belio Kipsang noted that authorities only issue passports to verified Kenyan citizens and rejected claims that foreigners had received Kenyan passports.
Kenyan authorities later described Haji’s passport as “fraudulently issued and obtained”, raising questions about how he acquired the document and whether officials followed proper verification procedures.
Political leaders have also raised concerns about the alleged illegal issuance of Kenyan identification documents to foreign nationals.
Security allegations have added another layer to the dispute.
Kenyan intelligence sources accused Haji of helping arm clan militias along the border and linked him to unrest in Somalia. The allegations have intensified scrutiny of his activities and raised concerns about whether foreign officials with Kenyan documents could pose a security risk to Kenya.
What Kenyan Law Says About Dual Citizenship
Kenya’s Constitution sets clear rules on citizenship and public office.
It requires people seeking election or appointment to State office to hold Kenyan citizenship and bars State officers and members of the defence forces from holding dual citizenship. However, the law provides exceptions for judges, commission members and people who acquire another nationality automatically under foreign law.
Kenyan law moreover allows dual citizens to contest elective positions, but successful candidates must renounce their foreign citizenship before assuming office.
Parliament can also require nominees with dual citizenship to give up their foreign nationality before approving their appointments.
Notably, the Kenya Citizenship and Immigration Act requires dual citizens to disclose their other nationality.
Those who fail to make the disclosure face a fine of up to KSh5 million, imprisonment of up to three years, or both. However, courts have challenged the severity of the penalty and called for less restrictive measures where appropriate.
The law also separates citizenship from passports.
Surrendering a Kenyan passport does not automatically end Kenyan citizenship. A person must follow the formal legal process to renounce citizenship, which means authorities can still investigate how they obtained Kenyan documents even after they surrender a passport.
Passport applicants must provide documents including a birth certificate and national identity card, while dual citizens must declare their other nationality.
Could the Dispute Threaten Security, Trade and Border Relations?
The passport dispute comes at a sensitive point in Kenya-Somalia relations.
The two countries maintain close security, trade and community ties, but the row could complicate cooperation as both governments confront the threat from al-Shabaab and work to reopen their shared border after years of closure.
Kenya and Somalia have worked together against al-Shabaab, with Kenya contributing troops to regional security operations and both countries coordinating efforts along the border.
However, allegations that the Second Deputy Prime Minister Haji helped arm clan militias and destabilise towns near the frontier have added a security dimension to the dispute and could strain intelligence-sharing and joint operations.
The row could also affect Kenya’s plans to reopen the border with Somalia.
In February 2026, President William Ruto announced plans to reopen two crossing points after 15 years, aiming to improve security, formalise trade and reconnect communities. Any deterioration in relations could slow these efforts, particularly as both countries implement their Joint Commission of Cooperation framework.
Trade also gives both governments a strong incentive to contain the dispute.
Somalia joined the East African Community in 2024, strengthening opportunities for commerce between the two countries. Kenya supplies Somalia with goods and services, while Somali businesses and the wider diaspora contribute significantly to Kenya’s commercial economy.
Communities along the border could feel the impact most directly.
Families and businesses maintain longstanding links across the frontier, while Nairobi serves as an important commercial hub for Somali traders. However, continued al-Shabaab attacks already restrict movement and threaten livelihoods, and a diplomatic fallout could further complicate cross-border travel and trade.
The passport dispute therefore risks extending beyond immigration and citizenship.
If Kenya and Somalia allow tensions to deepen, they could undermine security cooperation, delay the reopening of the border, disrupt trade, and place additional pressure on communities that depend on close ties between the two countries.
Could the Passport Row Reshape Kenya-Somalia Relations?
The passport dispute has exposed deeper tensions in an already fragile relationship.
What began with a contested Kenyan passport held by Somalia’s Deputy Prime Minister Jibril Abdirashid Haji has now raised broader questions about citizenship, sovereignty, political loyalty and the future of cooperation between the two neighbours.
Kenya and Somalia have maintained close ties in security, trade and border management, but both countries also carry longstanding mistrust.
Nairobi has traditionally approached Somalia through a security lens, while Mogadishu has increasingly questioned Kenyan influence in its internal affairs.
President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s push to strengthen federal authority has further complicated relations with regional states that maintain close links with Kenya.
Somalia’s new restrictions on dual citizenship for senior officials, Hassan Sheikh’s directive to surrender Kenyan passports and Haji’s deportation all point to a stronger push for national sovereignty.
The timing has also raised political questions, coming amid uncertainty over Somalia’s political transition following the expiry of the President’s mandate and Parliament’s term.
The dispute has already moved beyond Haji’s case.
Kenyan authorities reportedly placed about 30 Somali officials on watchlists at airports and denied several entry, while Somalia summoned Kenya’s ambassador for an explanation. Further action by either government could trigger retaliatory measures, including restrictions on officials, movement or trade.
Despite the tensions, Kenya and Somalia have strong reasons to avoid escalation.
Both countries need continued cooperation against al-Shabaab, and the expansion of trade and the planned reopening of border crossings depend on stable relations.
The Joint Commission of Cooperation also provides a diplomatic platform for resolving disputes.
The coming months will determine whether the passport row remains a limited administrative dispute or becomes a turning point in Kenya-Somalia relations.
If both governments contain the issue through diplomacy, they can preserve existing cooperation.
If tensions over sovereignty, influence and loyalty continue to grow, the dispute could push the two neighbours into a more adversarial relationship.
