Court orders return of Kenyan passport seized from EALA MP with dual citizenship

The High Court in Nairobi has ordered the immediate return of a Kenyan passport belonging to Abdirahman Bashir Shariff, a Member of Parliament at the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) with dual citizenship. Shariff claims he was denied entry into Kenya and forcibly removed from the immigration hall at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) on August 14, 2026.

Justice David Mburu has directed the respondents to release Shariff's passport, currently held by the State, within 24 hours of receiving the order. Shariff argues that he is a Kenyan citizen by birth and that the State had no legal authority to prevent him from returning to the country. He alleges that he was questioned extensively over his Somali citizenship, told he had obtained his Kenyan passport fraudulently, and that officials refused to accept his declaration of dual citizenship.

Shariff also claims that he was not given prior notice, a hearing, or the opportunity to respond to the allegations against him. The court has not yet ruled on the constitutional issues raised in Shariff's petition or the allegations of unlawful detention and passport seizure.