Kenyan government accuses deported Somali Deputy Prime Minister of security-related activities
Kenyan authorities said Somalia’s Deputy Prime Minister Jibril Abdirashid Haji was deported over allegedly illegal Kenyan documents and suspected activities near the Kenya-Somalia border, claims Somali officials have not publicly addressed.
Nairobi (Somali Report) — Kenyan government has publicly commented for the first time on the deportation of Somalia’s Deputy Prime Minister Jibril Abdirashid Haji, linking him to security activities it said threatened security near the Kenya-Somalia border.
In a brief statement posted Sunday on X, Counter Terrorism Policing Kenya alleged that Haji was connected to efforts to destabilize towns near the border and illegally obtained a Kenyan passport.
“Equally, the Deputy Prime Minister was linked to efforts to destabilise border towns close to the Kenyan border,” the agency said.
The agency alleged that Haji had airlifted weapons into a town near the border and was traveling from Jomo Kenyatta International Airport to the area to arm clan militia and disrupt peace and local administration. It said the alleged activity could have had security consequences for Kenya.
Counter Terrorism Policing Kenya also alleged that Haji, who previously served as acting president of Somalia’s Southwest State, was linked to recent armed conflict in Baidoa, where civilians were killed and hundreds of families were displaced.
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“Efforts by Kenyan politicians to intervene did not succeed,” the agency said, adding that screenshots related to a renewed passport would be shared later.
Kenya deported Haji last week after he arrived in Nairobi from Mogadishu. According to a police report, he landed Wednesday afternoon at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport with a valid visa in his Somali diplomatic passport.
During immigration checks, officials suspected that he had fraudulently acquired a Kenyan passport, the report said. Haji was held in the airport’s VIP lounge before being issued a return ticket to Mogadishu. His flight departed early Thursday morning.
Neither the Kenyan nor Somali government had issued a detailed official statement immediately after the deportation, leaving the circumstances unclear until Sunday’s comment by the Kenyan counterterrorism agency.
The incident risks adding strain to relations between Kenya and Somalia, which cooperate closely on security but have also faced recurring diplomatic disputes.
Kenya hosts a large Somali community and contributes troops to stabilization efforts in Somalia. The two countries also work together on counterterrorism and border security, particularly against al-Shabab, the al-Qaida-linked militant group that operates in Somalia and has carried out attacks in Kenya.
About the Author
Osman Hassan is a Senior Editor at the Somali Report based in Nairobi with over 15 years of experience in journalism. He has worked with local and international media outlets in Somalia and is an award-winning journalist. His reporting focuses on politics, security, and regional affairs in the Horn of Africa.