Nairobi, Kenya – Kenyan President William Ruto has officially given the green light for Somaliland to open a liaison office in Nairobi, marking a significant diplomatic gesture between the two governments.
The move comes after high-level discussions between Kenyan and Somaliland officials aimed at strengthening bilateral ties in trade, security, and regional cooperation.
While Kenya maintains its commitment to a one-Somalia policy, the liaison office is expected to function as a coordination center for development, investment, and consular services.
Somaliland, a self-declared independent region of Somalia, has been seeking international recognition since 1991.
Although it lacks formal recognition, it maintains informal ties with several countries.
Somaliland’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs welcomed the decision, calling it a “major step toward enhanced cooperation with Kenya.”
The Kenyan government has yet to issue a full statement on the development, but officials close to the presidency indicated it was made “in the spirit of pragmatic engagement.”
Analysts say the liaison office will serve as a platform to boost economic and people-to-people relations, without altering Kenya’s official stance on Somalia’s territorial integrity.
This development is likely to spark diplomatic reactions from the Federal Government of Somalia, which has previously protested similar moves by other countries.