The Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) on Tuesday, May 11, suspended all flights between Kenya and Somalia with immediate effect.
A statement by KCAA seen by Kenyans.co.ke announced that only medevac flights and United Nations flights on humanitarian missions, were exempted from the order.
It is yet to be known why the flights have been suspended.
President Uhuru Kenyatta and his Somalia counterpart Mohammed Abdullahi Farmajo are expected to meet in Kampala during President Yoweri Museveni’s inauguration ceremony on May 12, 2021.
The move to suspend flights came just a week after Somalia announced it had restored diplomatic ties with Kenya amid maritime boundary row.
The two leaders agreed to set aside their differences after intervention from the Amir of the State of Qatar, His Highness Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani.
"The Federal Government of Somalia announces that in keeping with the interests of good neighbourliness, it has resumed diplomatic relations with the republic of Kenya.
"The Government of the Republic of Kenya welcomes this gesture in keeping with the interests of good neighbourliness," the statement read in part.
In December 2020, Somalia Minister of Information Osman Abukar Dubbe issued Kenyan diplomats residing in Mogadishu seven days to leave the country.
At the same time, Dubbe recalled its diplomats who are stationed in Nairobi.
Somalia added that it strongly upheld principles of interdependence and maintaining friendly relations with neighbouring countries but believes that the Kenyan government's actions are not in line with internationally recognised diplomatic relations enjoyed by sovereign states.
On its part, the Foreign Affairs Ministry indicated that it had taken note of a press release issued by Somali authorities reestablishing their diplomatic relations with Kenya.
