Somalia’s Deputy Prime Minister, Jibril Abdirashid Haji, announced that he has voluntarily returned a Kenyan passport previously issued to him, saying the move is intended to uphold transparency and eliminate any ambiguity regarding his official responsibilities.
He also returned a birth certificate that erroneously showed he was born in Kenya.
He returned them to Kenya’s Deputy Ambassador to Somalia, Elias Bare Shil in Mogadishu.
In a statement, Haji said the passport had been “genuine and lawfully obtained” and that its issuance and use fully complied with Kenyan laws and procedures.
Kenyan officials said the documents were fraudulent issued and obtained. There are about 2,000 passports fraudulently issued and have since been flagged.
Hajji emphasized that the decision to surrender the travel document was purely administrative and was not prompted by any dispute or request from the Kenyan authorities.
“To uphold the highest principles of public service and ensure complete clarity regarding my official responsibilities, I have voluntarily returned this passport to the competent authorities of the Republic of Kenya,” he said.
The Deputy Prime Minister expressed gratitude to Kenya for its longstanding support and hospitality toward Somali citizens, saying the country’s generosity and friendship would always be remembered with respect and appreciation.
Haji said his commitment to serving the Federal Republic of Somalia remains unwavering, adding that returning the passport reflects his dedication to maintaining absolute clarity in his public role and his loyalty to Somalia.
He also reaffirmed his respect for Kenya and its institutions, expressing his commitment to strengthening the longstanding ties between Kenya and Somalia.
The statement comes amid heightened public interest over the citizenship and travel documents held by senior public officials serving in governments across the region.
However, Haji maintained that the Kenyan passport had been legally acquired and that his decision to return it was voluntary.
He was on June 24, 2026, deported from Kenya over the fraudulently obtained passport.
According to immigration officials Haji arrived at Terminal 2 of JKIA on Wednesday, June 24, 2026, at about 4:00 p.m. aboard a Saacid Airline flight from Mogadishu.
The officials said Haji, who was travelling on a Somali diplomatic passport valid until September 18, 2029, presented a valid visa during routine immigration clearance.
However, immigration officials suspected that the senior Somali official had fraudulently acquired a Kenyan passport.
During questioning, the Deputy Prime Minister is said to have admitted possessing the Kenyan travel document.
He however declined to surrender it to authorities, insisting that he could only produce it before a court of law.
Following the interrogation, the Somali official was held at the VIP lounge in Terminal 2 as immigration and security agencies processed the matter.
Authorities later arranged for his return to Somalia aboard a Daallo Airlines flight. He departed JKIA on Thursday, June 25, 2026, at 6:45 a.m. without any reported incident.
The matter is under investigations. Officials from both governments had not issued formal statements on the matter.
There were reports the local authorities had told officials with Kenyan documents they fraudulently obtained to return them.
Cases of Somalis fraudulently obtaining Kenyan documents have been on the rise with corruption being blamed for the same.
Some of the foreigners with the documents have been arrested and prosecuted.
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