Somalia's second deputy prime minister, Jibril Abdirashid Haji, has officially returned his Kenyan passport, national identity card, and birth certificate in compliance with a directive issued by Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud.
The handover took place in Mogadishu on Monday, August 3, 2026, where Haji presented the documents to Elias Bare Shill, Kenya's ambassador to Somalia, during an official ceremony.
President Hassan Shikh Mohamud announced the directive on July 30, 2026, requiring all senior government officials holding Kenyan citizenship or Kenyan identification documents to relinquish them or step down from their government positions. The order comes at a time of heightened discussions between Somalia and Kenya over immigration and cross-border documentation.
Haji had recently faced public attention over his use of a Kenyan passport. Reports indicate that he was refused entry into Kenya at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) in June 2026 after authorities questioned the legality of how the passport had been obtained.
The case has also fueled wider concerns that some foreign nationals may have acquired Kenyan identification documents through unlawful means.
The matter was discussed during diplomatic engagements between the two countries. Kenyan Foreign Minister Musalia Mudavadi and Somalia's Foreign Minister Abdisalam Ali met in Addis Ababa, where they agreed to strengthen cooperation on migration management and the verification of travel documents.
By surrendering his Kenyan documents, Jibril Abdirashid Haji has become the first senior Somali government official to comply with President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud's directive, as Somalia and Kenya continue working together to address migration and documentation challenges.
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