Kenyatta, Farmaajo Commit to Normalize Relations

Nairobi — Presidents Uhuru Kenyatta and Mohamed Farmaajo Thursday evening recommitted to rally their respective administrations towards bringing normalcy in the Kenya-Somalia relations.

The undertaking was given during talks after Kenyatta paid his Somalian counterpart a courtesy call at a city hotel following Farmaajo’s participation in the just concluded International Conference on Population Development.

Relations between the two countries have in recent months been impeded by a diplomatic row over a maritime delimitation dispute pending at the International Court of Justice.

Kenya successfully applied to have hearings slated for this month deferred to allow the State Law Office time to recruit a defense counsel.

The most recent sign of tense relations between the two countries emerged in October when Somali’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs wrote a protest letter to Kenya over the alleged violation of the country’s airspace by a Kenyan-registered aircraft.

Kenya’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Kenyatta and Farmaajo agreed to enhance relations regardless of the outcome in the maritime delimitation case filed by Somalia.