Beirut: Diplomatic tensions between Kenya and Somalia have deepened after Kenyan authorities allegedly denied entry to another senior Somali government official on Monday, days after deporting the country's second deputy prime minister over a passport dispute.

According to Anadolu Agency, Somalia's state minister at the presidency, Abshir Bukhaari, was reportedly turned away upon arrival at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi and placed on a return flight to Mogadishu. This action followed Kenyan immigration officials questioning a Kenyan passport he was allegedly carrying. Neither the Kenyan nor Somali government has officially commented on the incident.

The deportation occurred less than a month after Somalia's Second Deputy Prime Minister Jibril Abdirashid Haji faced similar treatment. Haji was denied entry into Kenya over allegations of fraudulently obtaining a Kenyan passport. Despite arriving with a Somali diplomatic passport and a valid visa, he was returned to Mogadishu after allegedly refusing to surrender the disputed Kenyan passport when questioned by authorities.

The latest incident has escalated the dispute into a diplomatic row. Somali media reported that the Foreign Ministry had summoned Kenya's ambassador in Mogadishu to seek an explanation for the treatment of its senior officials. However, Kenyan authorities have not publicly confirmed the meeting took place.

These back-to-back incidents have raised questions over the alleged acquisition of Kenyan travel documents by senior Somali officials. Kenyan authorities are investigating possible irregularities in the issuance of these passports.

Relations between Kenya and Somalia have generally improved in recent years after earlier diplomatic disagreements over maritime boundaries and regional security. The two neighboring countries cooperate closely in efforts to combat the al-Shabaab militant group. Kenya also hosts a large Somali diaspora and remains one of Somalia's key trading partners.