By Mohamed Abdi - Reporter
Addis Ababa (Dawan), 28 July 2026 – Somalia and Kenya have agreed to strengthen cooperation on migration and consular services following a bilateral meeting in Addis Ababa between Foreign Affairs Minister Abdisalam Abdi Ali and Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi.
The two ministers attended the 49th Session of the African Union Executive Council.
The ministers focused on migration policy changes and the challenges facing people travelling between Somalia and Kenya. They agreed to strengthen coordination between immigration authorities, accelerate consular services and ease movement of people.
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The talks come as Somali citizens continue to face special travel requirements when visiting Kenya. In January 2025, Kenya’s Cabinet approved the exemption of citizens from most African countries from the Electronic Travel Authorisation, or eTA. However, Somalia and Libya were excluded, with Kenya citing security concerns.
Somalia, meanwhile, introduced its Electronic Travel Authorisation System, eTAS, on 1 September 2025, requiring foreign passport holders to obtain travel authorisation before travelling to the country.
The ministers reiterated their commitment to strengthening bilateral relations, noting that people-to-people mobility, trade and cross-border cooperation are essential to peace and stability in the Horn of Africa.