Kenya, Somalia renew ties after Mohamud's election

President Uhuru Kenyatta and his Federal Republic of Somalia counterpart Hassan Sheikh Mohamud during his first official visit to Kenya since he was elected in May at State House, Nairobi on July 15, 2022. [PSCU, Standard]

The resumption of miraa (khat) exports and Kenya Airways scheduled flights to Somalia on Friday is anticipated to improve ties between Nairobi and Mogadishu, following recent tensions over trade and a maritime border dispute.

The welcome development is contained in a joint communiqué released at State House, Nairobi, following an official visit by Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud. And the importance and urgency of the truce between the two countries is demonstrated by the timing of the meeting – just 40 days after Mohamud’s swearing in ceremony and 24 days before Kenya goes to the polls, ultimately setting the stage for Uhuru’s exit from power.

In lifting the ban on miraa, President Mohamud demonstrated the urgency in rebuilding ties with Kenya, stating that he was ready “to repair” relations with Nairobi on account of mutual respect to enable the two governments tackle common challenges facing citizens of the neighbouring countries.

With regard to KQ flights, the communication signed by Kenya’s Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA), Kamau Macharia, and Somalia’s Permanent Secretary in MFA, Mohamed Ali Nur, the leaders have agreed that the scheduled flights to Mogadishu resume immediately “based on the existing Bilateral Air Service Agreement (BASA)".

President Kenyatta and his Somali counterpart further sought to improve related travel bureaucracy by directing the relevant agencies “to implement the issuance of courtesy visas free of charge/gratis, on arrival”. They similarly underscored the need to process visas for holders of ordinary passports as soon as possible, “preferably within ten (10) working days”.

Recommitment to the fight against terrorism through coordinated efforts by security and intelligence agencies of the two countries, opening of the border between the two countries in order to ease the movement of people and enhance trade in goods and services, and promotion of trade and economic cooperation between the two countries, are among a raft of agreements arrived at by the two leaders.

Stressing the relevance of the pact, President Kenyatta aptly observed that “there is a lot to bring us together than to divide us”. Indeed, there was a clause on the agreement too emphasising the importance of cordial bilateral relations, “bonds of heritage and shared destiny that exists between the people of Kenya and the people of Somalia”.

Coming a couple of weeks before he exits from office, the deal hammered out in this pact – especially touching on miraa trade and travel – is a worthy farewell gift that is bound to excite his traditional political constituency. 

The Friday pact follows President Mohamud’s first visit to Kenya since he took the mantle for the second time. Mohamoud, whose first term in office as Somali President stretched between 2012 and 2017, enjoyed a cordial relationship with Uhuru who was first elected into office almost the same time. Unlike Uhuru, however, Mohamoud lost his re-election bid to Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo in the 2017 poll.

Relations between Kenya and Somalia drastically deteriorated thereafter, with Mogadishu accusing Nairobi of meddling in its internal affairs. This was after Uhuru hosted the political leadership from Somaliland, a breakaway state that Somalia's central government does not recognise.

During his reign, Farmaajo projected himself as a staunch Somali nationalist fighting against foreign forces, including international bodies as well as neighbouring countries. Somalia and Kenya particularly experienced rather frosty relations.

At the height of their disagreements, Somalia cut diplomatic ties with Kenya between December 2020 and July last year over matters associated with a maritime border dispute filed at the International Court of Justice (ICJ). 

Amid the tensions, Kenya at some point too – through a directive by Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i – closed Kakuma and Daadab refugee camps, citing security concerns. A majority of the refugees in the camps, located in northern Kenyan, are nationals of Somalia.     

Stressing that a secure Somalia is good for Kenya, Bungoma Senator Moses Wetang'ula then warned that insecurity and political mayhem in the neighbouring country could spill over. The former Foreign Affairs minister called on President Kenyatta, the Chairman of the East African Community, to hasten the admission of Somalia “so that they can enjoy benefits of the body, including access to a wider regional market to dissuade Somali warlords from engaging in battles over border towns as well as ports and airstrips in their country”.

Successive Somalia administrations have always had a beef with their Kenyan counterparts over what they consider as “interference with their internal political affairs”. Kenyan authorities particularly share close ties with the Jubbaland regional state. The Farmaajo government considered the support of Kenya for that state as an encroachment on its internal affairs.

The return of Mohamud in power is significant, considering that he was the leader in power when Somalia sued Kenya at ICJ in 2014. In other words, he is just the right man to calm the current tensions.