Foreign Affairs PS calls out Senate Speaker over diplomatic blunder on Somaliland
3 min read
Diplomatic gaffe by Senate Speaker Kingi forces Foreign Affairs PS to clarify Kenya's stance on Somaliland in line with the African Union standards
Diplomatic gaffe by Senate Speaker Kingi forces Foreign Affairs PS to clarify Kenya’s stance on Somaliland in line with the African Union standards.
Principal Secretary for Foreign Affairs Korir Sing’Oei on Tuesday, December 5, called out Senate Speaker Amason Kingi following his meeting that almost sparked a diplomatic row.
Speaker Kingi hosted a delegation from Somaliland at his office and later went to share part of their conversation on social media platform X.
In his post which was later deleted, the Senate Speaker announced that he had engaged Somaliland on ways to bolster trade between the two countries including launching direct flights from Nairobi to Hargeisa.
Kingi also recognized the Somaliland representative as an Ambassador to Kenya.
By so doing, the Senate Speaker recognized Somaliland as an independent state.
However, the diplomatic gaffe compelled the PS to clarify Kenya’s stance on Somaliland in line with the African Union standards.
PS Sing’Oei insisted that only the Federal Republic of Somalia is recognized as a state according to African Union charters.
” It is Kenya’s established and unchanging foreign policy, consistent with the African Union, that only the Federal Republic of Somalia is the recognized State entity,” the PS explained.
“Somaliland, a region within the Federal Republic of Somalia, has a liaison office for commercial purposes in Nairobi. This office is not an embassy,” he added.
The Foreign Affairs PS further reprimanded Kingi for overstepping on his mandate indicating that the role of the National Assembly was oversight and not foreign policy.
Raila breaks silence over the arrest of Controller of Budget Margaret Nyakang’o
Drama as UDA MPs storm out of Parliament after heckling Ichung’wah (VIDEO)
Azimio responds after the arrest of Controller of Budget Margaret Nyakang’o
Man commits suicide after killing wife and hiding her body on the roof
“Foreign policy of the Republic is a function of National Government. Parliament’s role in foreign policy is an oversight on the exercise of foreign relations by the national government,” the PS insisted.
Failure to clarify the situation could have triggered a diplomatic row with the Federal Republic of Somalia and the entire African Union as Somaliland is yet to be recognized as an independent state.
Notably, Kenya has previously been involved in a diplomatic tiff with Somalia over its stand on Somaliland.
In June 2020, the government was forced to express regret after Somalia’s ambassador to Kenya walked out of a meeting convened at State House by former President Uhuru Kenyatta.
At the meeting for foreign envoys, representatives from Somaliland had been invited as participants – a move that made Somalia hold that Kenya was recognising Somaliland as a sovereign state.
A flag of Somaliland had also been hoisted at the event.
Also read,
UK increases salary requirement for immigrants applying for work visas
Ruto receives 1.5B from the US after securing Ksh 38B loan from India
Father beats daughter to death for visiting boyfriend
Blow to Ruto as High Court suspends roll out of new digital IDs
Government issues new guidelines on age limit for importation of used cars beginning January 2024
Follow us
