The diplomatic chill between Kenya and Somalia deepened when Kenyan immigration officials turned back Somalia's Deputy Prime Minister at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport over a passport dispute.
The incident has sent shockwaves through East African diplomatic circles, raising fresh questions about the relationship between Nairobi and Mogadishu at a critical time.
According to sources close to the matter, the senior Somali official ran into trouble when immigration authorities raised concerns about the authenticity of his travel document.
When he refused to hand over the disputed passport, Kenyan officials denied him entry and placed him on a return flight to Mogadishu. The move was swift and uncompromising, leaving little room for negotiation or diplomatic courtesy that usually surrounds high-ranking government visitors.
What makes this incident particularly sensitive is its timing. The deportation happened just days after Presidents Hassan Sheikh Mahmud and William Ruto met in Nairobi to strengthen bilateral ties between the two countries.
That meeting was meant to warm up relations after periods of tension, making the airport incident all the more puzzling and concerning for observers watching Kenya-Somalia relations.
Neither the Somali government nor Kenya has released an official public statement about what happened. However, a senior Kenyan Foreign Ministry official did quietly confirm the deportation to some media outlets.
This silence from official channels suggests both governments are trying to manage the situation carefully, perhaps hoping to contain the damage without triggering further diplomatic row.
The question now hovering over both capitals is what really went down at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.
Was this a genuine document verification issue, or was there more to the story? How will this incident affect the delicate Somalia-Kenya relationship, especially when both countries are dealing with regional security challenges and need each other's cooperation? For now, those answers remain unclear.
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