Kenya deports Somali deputy prime minister over alleged passport fraud

Kenya deported Somalia's Deputy Prime Minister Jibril Abdirashid Haji after immigration officials accused him of possessing a Kenyan passport suspected to have been acquired fraudulently, according to local media quoting a police report that emerged Friday.

The report, filed at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport police station, states that Haji arrived at Nairobi's main airport from Mogadishu on Wednesday aboard a Saacid Airlines flight using a Somali diplomatic passport and a valid Kenyan visa.

Immigration officials became suspicious during the clearance process that the senior Somali official had "fraudulently acquired a Kenyan passport," according to the report.

When questioned about the document, Haji admitted possessing it but refused to hand it over to the authorities. Police recorded that "when interrogated, he admitted and when asked to produce the passport, he declined to surrender and claimed that he can only produce it in a court of law."

Following the interrogation, immigration officials detained Haji at the airport. He was held at the VIP lounge in Terminal 2 before authorities arranged his removal from the country.

Haji was subsequently issued a ticket on a Daallo Airlines flight to Mogadishu and deported Thursday morning. Police recorded that he "departed today on 25/06/2026 at 0645hrs with no incident reported."

Questions remain over how the Kenyan passport was allegedly obtained and whether authorities intend to pursue further investigations.

The deportation of such a senior Somali government official is highly unusual and is likely to attract diplomatic attention. Kenya and Somalia maintain close political, economic and security ties, including joint efforts to combat the al-Shabaab terrorist group. Kenya also hosts a large Somali diaspora and serves as a key trade and transport hub for its Horn of Africa neighbor.

Neither the Kenyan government nor the Somali authorities had publicly commented on the incident by Friday.