Somali President orders all senior officials holding Kenyan Passports, IDs to surrender them
Somali President orders all senior officials holding Kenyan Passports, IDs to surrender them
Somalia President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud on Thursday, July 30, ordered all cabinet ministers and government officials holding Kenyan passports and national identity cards to surrender the documents immediately.
Mohamud reportedly issued the directive during a Cabinet meeting amid growing immigration-related tensions between Somalia and Kenya.
According to government sources, affected officials were instructed to choose between retaining their government positions or keeping their Kenyan passports.
Reports indicate that the directive also applies to bureaucrats found to possess Kenyan identification documents.
According to reports from Somalia, the decision reportedly sparked disagreement within the Cabinet, with some ministers opposing the move and arguing that Somalia’s laws allow dual citizenship.
The directive comes after Somalia’s State Minister Abshir Bukhaari and Second Deputy Prime Minister Jibril Abdirashid Haji were reportedly denied entry into Kenya upon arrival at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) over questions surrounding travel documents they allegedly possessed.
Additionally, reports indicate that Kenyan authorities have heightened scrutiny of Somali officials travelling with Kenyan passports.
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Sources claim that about 30 Somali government officials have been placed on a watchlist at Kenyan airports, with several reportedly denied entry in recent weeks.
On Wednesday, Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi and Somalia’s Foreign Minister Abdisalam Ali held talks in Addis Ababa to address immigration concerns and ease diplomatic tensions.
During the meeting, both countries agreed to strengthen cooperation on consular affairs and facilitate smoother movement of citizens and government officials.
The latest developments have renewed attention on public speculation that some foreign nationals have fraudulently acquired Kenyan identity documents, claims that have circulated for months.
However, the government has consistently denied the allegations, with Immigration Principal Secretary Belio Kipsang maintaining that non-Kenyans are only issued with alien identification documents intended for administrative purposes.
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