MOGADISHU (Kaab TV) – Somalia’s Second Deputy Prime Minister, Jibril Abdirashid Haji, was reportedly deported from Kenya after immigration authorities at Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) detained him over allegations that he was in possession of a fraudulently acquired Kenyan passport.
The incident reportedly occurred just days after Kenyan President William Ruto hosted Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud in Nairobi for bilateral talks aimed at strengthening cooperation between the two neighboring countries on trade, security, regional stability, and cross-border relations.
According to sources familiar with the matter, Deputy Prime Minister Jibril entered Kenya using a valid Somali diplomatic passport and an official visa. However, immigration officials allegedly discovered that he was also carrying a Kenyan passport, prompting authorities to question the authenticity and legality of the document.
Kenyan immigration officers reportedly requested that Jibril surrender the Kenyan passport to allow investigators to examine it. Sources say he declined to hand over the document, insisting that he would only do so through a court process. Following the standoff, he was reportedly detained overnight before Kenyan authorities denied him permission to continue his journey and placed him on a flight back to Mogadishu.
Neither the Government of Kenya nor the Federal Government of Somalia has issued an official statement confirming the reported deportation or explaining the legal basis for the action. Likewise, the Office of the Second Deputy Prime Minister has not publicly commented on the incident.
It also remains unknown where Jibril Abdirashid Haji was traveling after arriving in Nairobi or whether Kenyan authorities have opened a formal investigation into the alleged passport irregularities.
The reported incident has generated significant public attention because it involves one of Somalia’s most senior government officials. Political observers say the case could have diplomatic implications if the reports are officially confirmed, particularly given the close political, economic, and security cooperation between Kenya and Somalia.
The incident has also renewed public discussion about document fraud involving Kenyan identity documents. Over the years, Kenyan authorities have reported numerous cases involving foreign nationals, including some Somali citizens, who were accused of illegally obtaining Kenyan passports and national identification documents through fraud, corruption, forged records, or false claims of citizenship.
Kenyan authorities have periodically launched investigations and verification exercises aimed at detecting and cancelling fraudulently acquired travel documents.
As of now, however, there has been no official confirmation that the allegations involving Deputy Prime Minister Jibril are connected to those broader cases, and authorities in both countries are expected to provide further clarification in the coming days.
The case would represent one of the highest-profile immigration incidents involving a senior Somali government official in recent years and is likely to attract continued attention from both Somali and Kenyan authorities as well as regional observers.