Somalia Prime Minister Detained at JKIA

Somalia Prime Minister Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke was on Saturday detained at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) following a diplomatic misunderstanding.

Mr Sharmarke, who was accompanied by a delegation of top officials from Somalia, was held at the airport’s VIP lounge after flying directly into the country contrary to flight security rules.

Security officials at the airport refused to clear the visiting delegates claiming they should have passed through Wajir airstrip for screening as required of all flights coming from Somalia.

However, according to a letter from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the chartered plane carrying the more than 20 delegates had been given a green light by the government to land in Kenya directly.

The letter further indicated that the Prime Minister, aboard a Freedom Airline Express aircraft, had been authorised to use the Kenyan airspace and did not name any airstrip that the plane was to branch before touching down at JKIA.

“The delegation had diplomatic passports and had indicated they would be travelling as one group. They were given that approval,” an officer from the Ministry confirmed.

Security protocol at the airport dictates that aircrafts arriving from Somalia and other selected countries rocked by security instability, be screened in two stages upon arrival into the country.

However, dignitaries are exempted from the exercise if given clearance by the host government, following official requests by their respective countries.