Kenya's Foreign Affairs Minister arrives in Somalia for talks

Raychelle Omamo, who is Kenya's Foreign Affairs Minister, arrived in Mogadishu on Sunday morning [Photo: OPM]

MOGADISHU, Somalia - Raychelle Omamo, who is Kenya's Foreign Affairs Minister, arrived in Mogadishu on Sunday morning and held a series of meetings with top leaders in the Horn of Africa nation, which is struggling with instability.

Ms. Omamo, a trusted lieutenant of President Uhuru Kenyatta, was ushered in by her counterpart Mohamed Abdirizak. The two met recently in London where the trip was mooted in a bid to boost cooperation between the two nations.

She landed at Adan Adde International Airport and proceeded with Abdirizak for a closed-door meeting. It's not clear how long she will be staying in Somalia but Garowe Online understands that Ms. Omamo will meet Prime Minister Mohamed Hussein Roble and outgoing President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo.

Multiple sources have intimated that they will discuss lifting the ban imposed on Khat [Miraa]. Kenya makes millions of dollars in terms of foreign income from the crop, which is widely traded in Somalia.

They are also expected to discuss bilateral ties between the two countries besides finding a permanent solution to the diplomatic row. Somalia has traditionally accused Kenya of meddling in her internal affairs, a claim which Kenya denies.

It's not clear if the issue of the maritime border row between Kenya and Somalia will be discussed but authorities in Mogadishu have often insisted that they have full trust in the International Court of Justice [ICJ]. On the other hand, Kenya is pushing for an out-of-court settlement.

Obama's trip also comes when PM Mohamed Roble is planning to visit Kenya, a trip which is secretly being opposed by Farmaajo. Roble's advanced team is already in Nairobi for technical preparations for the trip.

On Saturday, Farmaajo blocked a cooperation agreement recently inked by the Foreign Ministries of Somalia and Kenya, which could incite a setback for Prime Minister Mohamed Roble's planned state visit to Kenya, it has emerged.

This comes just weeks after Villa Somalia reinstated spy bosses fired by the P.M in what is widely seen as yet another deliberate move that seeks to undermine the independence of the office of the Prime Minister and cooperation with Kenya.

P.M Roble was on Tuesday expected to fly to Nairobi to sign an agreement that was to open the Somali market for Kenya's khat exports. The stimulant, now primarily sourced from Ethiopia, is linked to a monopoly controlled by the Farmaajo family and other political actors.

Despite the controversy surrounding the trip to Nairobi by Roble, Garowe Online understands that the PM will go on with the trip. He took over the office in October 2020 after Farmaajo fired Hassan Ali Khaire, who is now running for the presidency in Somalia.

GAROWE ONLINE