In a leaked audio recording corroborated by Kaab TV, Mr. Hussein further admitted that he attempted to increase the number of media personalities included in the scheme. However, only a few were ultimately added, while others were rejected.

“When I arrived at the office, there were four media stations on the official payroll: Shabelle TV, Universal TV, Dalsan TV, and Somali Cable TV, as well as Hassan Adde [a local TV director]. There were also individual media personalities,” Mr. Hussein said.

“Those who are paid are now visible and doing their job. That is what I did when I assumed the role,” he added.

The admission has raised serious concerns about media independence, transparency, and the potential misuse of public funds.

He also stated that the Mayor of Mogadishu, Mr. Hassan Mohamed Hussein Muungaab, is active on social media and closely monitors online news and discussions, saying the mayor closely follows emerging narratives and developments to better understand the public discourse.

He also stated that the Mayor of Mogadishu, Mr. Hassan Mohamed Hussein Muungaab, is active on social media and closely monitors online news and discussions, saying the mayor closely follows emerging narratives and developments to better understand the public discourse.

This is not the first such exposure. Under previous Somali administrations, payments and financial inducements to individual media personalities and influencers were reportedly common practice and have been documented in various reports.

The post Senior Mogadishu Official Exposes Government Payments to Somali Media and Influencers for Favorable Reporting appeared first on Kaab TV.

In the same cabinet meeting, ministers announced the appointment of Mohamed Mohamud Abdulle (known as Mohamed Dheere) as the new Accountant General of the Federal Government.

Anas, for his part, had earlier announced that he had resigned in August 2025, though he remained in the post until the government formally appointed his successor.

“I, Abdirahman Mohamed Anas, would like to express my sincere gratitude to the President of the Federal Republic of Somalia, H.E. Dr. Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, for entrusting me with this important responsibility. It has been an honor to serve in this role, which I did not seek but was chosen for by the President,” said Anas.

“I would like to clarify that my decision to step down was entirely personal. I formally submitted my resignation to the President on August 31, 2025, to allow sufficient time for a smooth transition,” he added.

I formally submitted my resignation to the President on August 31, 2025- Anas Wrote on his Facebook.

Who is Anas?

Abdirahman Mohamed Anas was previously a staff member at SIMAD University, working in the student finance department. There, he met Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, one of the university’s founders.

Anas also worked at Premier Bank, a financial institution in which President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud reportedly has a stake.

He hails from the Shiikhaal Gendershe clan, one of the minority groups categorized under the so-called “0.5 clans.”

Tensions had been simmering for months between Anas and the Minister of Finance, Bihi Iman Ige, who is said to have close family ties with one of President Hassan Sheikh’s wives.

Sources within the Ministry of Finance told Kaab TV that the dispute began after Anas repeatedly blocked several financial requests signed by Minister Ige.

A similar conflict had also occurred earlier between Minister Ige and the Auditor General, Ahmed Guutaale, who both hail from different Hawiye sub-clans.

A senior official close to the Accountant General’s office told Kaab TV that several mediation efforts were made between Anas and Biixi Cige, but Anas insisted that either he or the minister must step down and that the cabinet should decide the matter.

The cabinet’s final decision was to remove Anas and replace him with Mohamed Dheere, a former Minister of Finance and Education in the Hirshabelle regional administration.

The New Accountant General

Mohamed Dheere, who twice served as a minister in the Hirshabelle administration, hails from the Hawiye/Hawaadle clan of the Hiiraan region.

He is described as a close ally of Farah Abdulkadir, the current Federal Minister of Education and a key member of the Damu Jadiid faction that currently dominates Villa Somalia.

The dismissal of the Accountant General comes at a time when both the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) — which had been providing budgetary support to Somalia — recently informed the government that they would suspend their financial assistance due to widespread corruption.

This decision coincides with reports of a missing $1 billion, allegedly raised from the sale of public land acquired through forced evictions in Mogadishu, which President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud is accused of personally appropriating.

The post Somali Cabinet Ousts Accountant General After Dispute with Finance Minister appeared first on Kaab TV.

Firdhiye, who previously headed the SSC-Khaatumo administration before it was rebranded as Northeast State, secured 62 votes in the second round of balloting by the 83-member regional parliament, whose MPs were handpicked by clan elders.

His main challenger, Abdirisak Khalif—a former Somaliland parliamentary speaker and prominent Dhulbahante politician—walked out of the hall during the second round in protest.

Khalif, who had garnered 20 votes in the opening round, rejected the process as illegitimate.

A third contender, ex-planning minister Jamal Mohamed Hassan, picked up 15 votes in the first round but later threw his weight behind Firdhiye, tipping the balance further in the incumbent’s favor.

In the vice-presidential race, Firdhiye’s ally Abdirashid Yusuf Jibril, a former speaker of Puntland’s parliament who defected after losing his seat, won overwhelmingly with 65 votes.

Jibril hails from Sanaag, a disputed region between Puntland and Somaliland, though influential clan elders there have already distanced themselves from the new administration.

Both Puntland and Somaliland have condemned the creation of the Northeast State. Somaliland maintains that Laascaanood falls within its territory, while Puntland insists the people of Sool and Sanaag remain part of its jurisdiction.

President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre quickly congratulated Firdhiye, promising federal support for his administration.

A Vote Drenched in Cash

Investigations by Kaab TV revealed that nearly all candidates distributed money to MPs in an attempt to secure votes, with payments ranging from $15,000 to $30,000 per lawmaker.

Firdhiye was identified as the biggest spender, handing out between $25,000 and $30,000 to around 60 MPs. Multiple sources confirmed that the federal government flew in $3 million in cash to Laascaanood to strengthen his campaign.

By some estimates, Firdhiye’s spending totaled at least $1.65 million.

Abdirisak Khalif reportedly paid about $20,000 each to 50 MPs, or roughly $1 million in total. He is believed to have received backing from Puntland, allies of former president Mohamed Farmaajo, and funds traced to a Gulf country.

Jamal Mohamed Hassan, who had limited backing, allegedly offered some MPs $5,000 each before aligning himself with Firdhiye and the federal government. In return, insiders say, he was promised a future political post, while his wife retained her ambassadorial post in China.

Mohamed Yusuf, a businessman and brother to the owner of the HASS Petroleum, is said to have spent about $750,000, giving $15,000 each to nearly 50 MPs. He won just 8 votes and was eliminated in the first round.

Associates of Yusuf’s campaign say he is now demanding refunds from MPs who failed to support him—a tactic not unprecedented in Somalia’s money-driven politics, where failure to deliver on “paid-for” votes has at times led to threats or violence.

One of the new MPs of the Northeast Somalia State posted photos of cash in his hands as a show-off following the hugely costly presidential election in Laascaanood last week.

The election involved heavy bribes given to MPs by the five candidates contesting for the regional… pic.twitter.com/NPDygmVq0o

— Kaab TV (@KaabTV) September 4, 2025

Mogadishu’s 2026 Calculations

Analysts argue that the federal government’s push to establish the Northeast State is tied directly to President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s re-election strategy for 2026.

By shifting the federal parliamentary elections for Sool and Sanaag from Puntland to Laascaanood, Mogadishu could tilt future voting blocs in its favor. Such a move, however, risks igniting new disputes and could heighten tensions in the run-up to the next national polls.

For now, Firdhiye’s re-election tightens Mogadishu’s grip on Laascaanood—but it may also deepen political fractures across Somalia’s already fragile federal system.

The post Bribes, Ballots, and Power: Inside Northeast Somalia’s Contentious Election appeared first on Kaab TV.

According to documents submitted to the U.S. Embassy in Nairobi on August 16 for visa applications, the Somali government plans to send a 32-member delegation.

Among those listed are President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, his daughter, and his son.

Equally striking is the presence of four individuals who are married couples, raising suspicions that family ties rather than official responsibilities dictated their inclusion.

The itinerary further shows the delegation will spend 15 days in New York—an extended stay in one of the world’s most expensive cities, funded by a government that relies almost entirely on international aid.

Also on the list are two deputy prime ministers, the husband of the president’s chief of protocol (himself a sitting MP), and a number of government employees with no apparent role in the UN Assembly’s proceedings.

The makeup of the delegation has fueled criticism that the trip serves more as a taxpayer-funded excursion for political insiders and relatives than as a focused diplomatic mission.

Beyond the question of cost, new concerns are emerging that some individuals on the list may not return to Somalia after the trip.

Observers including opposition MPs warn that such practices risk facilitating irregular migration or even human trafficking under the cover of official delegations—a phenomenon that has been reported in other fragile states where oversight is weak.

This controversy comes at a sensitive time. Somalia remains unable to consistently pay the salaries of its civil servants, soldiers, and teachers.

Yet it is preparing to cover the travel, accommodation, and allowances of more than 30 individuals in New York for two weeks.

Adding to the irony, the U.S. government has recently reimposed visa restrictions on Somalia under President Donald Trump’s new immigration laws—measures that make travel more difficult for ordinary Somali citizens, but which political elites appear able to sidestep with relative ease.

Somalia also continues to rank as one of the most corrupt countries in the world, where accountability for financial crimes, money laundering, and abuse of power is virtually nonexistent.

To critics, the UNGA delegation list is not an isolated misstep but a telling symptom of a deeper governance crisis—one where public resources are exploited for personal gain while the population is left to shoulder the consequences.

The post Somali Government Under Fire for Sending 32-Member Family-Filled Delegation to UNGA appeared first on Kaab TV.

The UK announced an additional $3.9 million contribution to the United Nations-administered SSF Trust Fund.

The Trust Fund, managed by the United Nations Support Office in Somalia (UNSOS), currently supports 18,900 personnel from the Somali National Army and Somali Police Force.

In 2024 alone, UK funding enabled UNSOS to deliver 6,000 tons of food rations and 2,000 tons of diesel fuel to the SSF, along with providing casualty evacuations (CASEVAC) for hundreds of wounded personnel.

The latest contribution will ensure continued delivery of this vital logistical support.

UNSOS requires a minimum of $2 million per month to support the planned increase in SSF personnel from 18,900 to 20,900, as outlined in UN Security Council Resolution 2767 (2024).

Additional funding is urgently needed, especially for UNSOS’s life-saving CASEVAC operations during ongoing military campaigns.

The UK reaffirmed its commitment to supporting Somalia’s security transition, emphasizing the importance of enabling UNSOS to continue its essential support to the SSF.

Outgoing British Ambassador to Somalia, Mike Nithavrianakis, says the contribution shows The UK is a firm friend of Somalia and at this vital moment.

“I’m proud to be announcing further funding to support the fight against violent extremists. I encourage other partners to contribute to the UNSOS SSF Trust Fund, to support the brave Somali Security Forces and to ensure a safe and secure future for all Somalis and the region,” Nithavrianakis said.

Somalia’s National Security Advisor, Hussein Sheikh Ali, also emphasized the importance of the Trust Fund and the government’s commitment to using it responsibly.

“The logistical support provided by UNSOS has been significant for the Somali Security Forces, particularly in CASEVAC and MEDEVAC. We urge donors to increase funding in 2025 as the FGS continues to generate new forces,” said Mr. Ali.

Theft of food and fuel

Somalia has a history of aid diversion, including theft of food and fuel intended for its security forces, provided by international partners.

Last year, the U.S. government cut rations and fuel support to the elite Danab forces after Washington discovered that supplies had been misappropriated.

However, Somalia’s National Security Advisor, Hussein Sheikh Ali, says the government is committed to doing better this time.

“I reiterate the Somali government’s commitment to transparency, accountability, and adherence to international standards in the use of these resources,” said Hussein Sheikh Ali.

The Head of UNSOS, Aisa Kirabo Kacyira, praised the UK’s continued support while the air evacuation remains vital for injured soldiers.

“I remain grateful to the UK Government for its steadfast support of the SSF during the ongoing transition. CASEVAC operations have saved lives and boosted the morale of the Somali forces. It is crucial to have a reliable, predictable Trust Fund, and I urge partners to also contribute as we support Somalia’s security transition,” said Kacyira.

This latest UK contribution builds on earlier funding, bringing the total UK support to more than $50 million since 2021. In February 2025, the UK contributed £5 million, following earlier donations of £5 million in September 2024, £2.75 million in April 2024, £5 million in January 2024, and £5 million in December 2023.

The funding comes at a time of growing concern, as Al-Shabaab militants have advanced toward Mogadishu, the Somali capital. The group has begun encircling the city, raising fears of a possible assault and the potential for the capital to fall under militant control.

The post UK Steps Up Aid to Somalia Security Forces as Al-Shabaab Threat Intensifies appeared first on Kaab TV.

The case, brought before the International Court of Justice (ICJ), is spearheaded by Somali Member of Parliament Abdullahi Hashi Abib, a staunch advocate for human rights and transparent governance.

MP Abib filed the complaint on January 29 on behalf of former employees of the Central Bank of Somalia (CBS).

The case also lists CBS Governor Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi (also known as Abdi Mohamed Abdullahi) as a co-defendant.

The lawsuit accuses the Somali president, Premier Bank, and the CBS governor of forcibly evicting vulnerable families and unlawfully seizing property owned by former CBS employees.

According to the application obtained by Kaab TV, the plaintiffs argue that these properties were illegally transferred to Premier Bank via an executive order issued by President Mohamud, despite a final ruling by a Somali court affirming the employees’ ownership rights.

Forced Evictions and Illegal Asset Seizure

“Hon. Dr. Abdullahi Hashi Abib is filing this case on behalf of CBS employees whose properties were unlawfully transferred to Premier Bank through an illegal executive order,” the application states.

The lawsuit further alleges that Premier Bank knowingly acquired these assets under the illegal order, and instead of depositing the funds into the Treasury Single Account (TSA) as required by law, payments were directly made to President Mohamud and Governor Abdullahi.

Filed under Article 36(2) of the ICJ Statute, the case invokes the court’s jurisdiction over international law violations, state corruption, financial crimes, and human rights abuses, including the right to property.

The plaintiff is requesting the ICJ to:

• Declare the executive order null and void and restore full ownership rights to affected CBS employees.
• Order the Somali government and CBS to comply with the Somali court ruling and compensate affected employees for damages.
• Impose legal and financial sanctions on President Mohamud, Governor Abdullahi, and Premier Bank for their unlawful actions.
• Investigate and prosecute the alleged diversion of sale proceeds into private accounts.
• Issue an injunction preventing Premier Bank from engaging in further transactions involving disputed assets until full legal compliance is ensured.

This case comes amid a surge in forced evictions across Mogadishu, where thousands of vulnerable families, including women and children, have been rendered homeless.

Powerful land grabbers continue to tighten their grip on the city, exacerbating the crisis.

In the latest wave of evictions, thousands of families living in Ex-Carwada Qaranka, an abandoned government property in central Mogadishu, were forcibly removed last week.

The post Somali MP Files Landmark Human Rights Case Against President Hassan Sheikh and Premier Bank appeared first on Kaab TV.

More than 21 public properties and institutions have been taken over, including former ministry buildings, public cemeteries, the former Central Bank land, as well as public schools and clinics in Mogadishu.

Even army barracks were not spared.

In this report, we present details on those allegedly involved in this land-grabbing scheme.

There are also growing reports that funds invested in these illegal land acquisitions come from criminal groups such as Yemen’s Houthi militia, who supply weapons to Somalia and receive payment in return.

Additionally, Al-Shabaab has shifted its investment strategy by converting hard currency into real estate, acquiring public lands.

The post Land Grabbing in Mogadishu: Corrupt Politicians, Businessmen, and Criminals Exposed appeared first on Kaab TV.