Kenya senate speaker bashed for recognising Somaliland

The speaker of Kenya's senate has been accused of going against the national policy by recognising the breakaway territory of Somaliland as an independent nation.

On Tuesday, Speaker Amason Kingi shared on social media that he had met with Somaliland's "ambassador to Kenya".

He said the pair had met to explore "new avenues for collaboration and partnerships between our governments".

Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Korir Sing'Oei was among those who criticized Mr. Kingi for acknowledging Somaliland's government in his since-deleted post.

"It is Kenya's established and unchanging foreign policy, consistent with the African Union, that only the Federal Republic of Somalia is the recognised State entity," said Mr. Sing'Oei.

"Somaliland, a region within the Federal Republic of Somalia, has a liaison office for commercial purposes in Nairobi. This office is not an embassy".

Somaliland is an autonomous state in northern Somalia that is not recognised by international entities, including the UN and African Union. It is regarded as an autonomous region of Somalia.

It seceded from Somalia in 1991, following a prolonged civil war.

The speaker has also been criticised for meddling in the affairs of the national government by engaging in foreign policy, which falls outside the direct jurisdiction of the Senate.