The Somali Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation (SOMOTCA) has condemned the Kenyan government's decision to once more force all traffic bound for Nairobi that originates in Mogadishu, to stop in the city of Wajir for screening and security checks.
The Director-General of the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority, Gilbert Kibe, told the Nation newspaper that the measure was "purely for security reasons" and would remain in place until August 9 when it will be reviewed.
In response, SOMOTCA said the action would place an undue burden on Somali citizens and other travellers by creating an unnecessary barrier to trade and the movement of people between the two countries.
"The Federal Government of Somalia [FGS] observes that this decision is politically motivated, unneighbourly, and is against our traditional tenets of good neighbourliness and strong relations," it said in a statement. "The FGS stands to protect and safeguard its sovereignty and the dignity and well-being of its citizens and thus calls on the Kenyan government to reconsider its decision."
Kenya only allowed direct Mogadishu-Nairobi flights to resume in 2017. The original embargo was set in place in August 2007 following an escalation in the security situation with the then Islamic Courts Union (ICU) in Somalia. For the ensuing ten-year period, Nairobi required all flights from Somalia to stop in the eastern Kenyan town of Wajir for customs, immigration, and security screening before continuing on to their final destinations in Kenya. The restriction was only lifted in 2017 after Somali Prime Minister Hassan Ali Khaire and his Kenyan counterpart, Uhuru Kenyatta, reached an agreement.
According to the ch-aviation schedules module, multiple passenger and cargo carriers operate in the Mogadishu-Nairobi market including Freedom Airline Express, African Express Airways, Astral Aviation, Jubba Airways (Kenya), Kenya Airways, Ocean Airlines (Somalia), and Safe Air.
