Villa Somalia slams Farmaajo’s ‘baseless’ claims in $300,000 villa row

Mogadishu (Somalia Today) – Somalia’s presidency on Saturday issued a stinging rebuttal to claims by former leader Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo that the current head of state tried to block a crowdfunding campaign to build him a retirement home, calling the allegations a “pure fabrication.”

The war of words centers on a $300,000 villa in the coastal town of Marka, which Farmaajo says was funded by ordinary citizens as a “thank you” for his 2017-2022 term.

Farmaajo claimed President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud had personally called him in 2022 to demand an end to the “Mahadsanid Madaxweyne” (Thank You President) campaign because it was making the incoming administration look bad.

“President Hassan Sheikh called me and asked me to stop the campaign because it was capturing the public’s heart more than the new government,” Farmaajo said in an interview.

Villa Somalia, the seat of the presidency, hit back within hours, dismissing the claim as a desperate bid for “media attention.”

“There was no such conversation,” said presidential spokesperson Abdicaziz Golfyare.

“It is unfortunate that a former president would resort to baseless claims… at a time when the President was fully occupied with the war against Kharijites (Al-Shabaab), debt relief efforts, and lifting the arms embargo.”

‘Misplaced’ luxury?

The dispute highlights the deep political polarization remaining in the Horn of Africa nation, which is struggling to emerge from decades of civil war and a bloody insurgency by the Al-Qaeda-linked Al-Shabaab group.

Farmaajo, whose term was marked by a populist “Somalia First” agenda but also by bitter constitutional standoffs, framed the house as a historic first for the country.

He said the project is a grassroots initiative that Somali citizens at home and in the diaspora fund.

“This campaign is a symbol of the Somali people’s awakening,” he said in a statement. “It shows that when the people see a leadership that serves their interests, they will sacrifice everything.”

“Today, the people have demonstrated their commitment to building a Somali nation marked by administrative transparency, social justice, and the protection of the public interest.”

According to his office, the campaign raised $300,000 from Somalis at home and in the diaspora. The villa, located in the scenic Ceeljaalle area of Marka, cost $295,000 to construct.

However, the current administration questioned the ethics of the display. Somalia is currently navigating a dire humanitarian crisis, with millions of people facing food insecurity due to erratic climate patterns and displacement.

“It is a lack of responsibility for a former leader to boast about a $300,000 house while the Somali people are struggling with the hardships of drought and economic recovery,” the presidency’s statement added.

Legacy and tensions

Since Mohamud defeated Farmaajo in May 2022, the two men have represented competing visions for the country’s future.

Mohamud has focused on a massive and successful military offensive against Al-Shabaab and on completing a major debt relief program in late 2023, which saw billions of dollars in external debt forgiven.

Somalia successfully reached the HIPC completion point in late 2023, resulting in the forgiveness of $4.5 billion in debt, alongside the lifting of a decades-old UN arms embargo.

Farmaajo, meanwhile, retains a loyal following, particularly among those who favored his centralized approach to governance.

The spat over the “People’s House” in Marka—a town once held by Al-Shabaab and liberated during Mohamud’s first tenure—underscores the ongoing battle for the narrative of Somali progress.

While peaceful transfers of power have become more frequent in Mogadishu, the public trading of insults between a sitting and former president is rare, signaling a breakdown in the traditional “gentleman’s agreement” that usually governs the city’s political elite.