Criticism mounts as Mogadishu Mayor faces claims of funding social media campaigns.

Mogadishu Mayor and Governor of Banaadir, Hassan Mohamed Hussein, popularly known as Muungaab, is facing mounting criticism following allegations that funds deducted from elders and staff salaries at the Banaadir Regional Administration were diverted to social media commentators.

The controversy comes after Muungaab publicly defended his administration’s policy of cutting allowances from individuals he claimed had not contributed to the work of the local government. Speaking earlier this month at the opening of a new media facility in the capital, he argued that the administration would reward only those who actively support its efforts while withholding funds from those deemed inactive.

However, criticism has intensified after prominent Mogadishu teacher and commentator Hussein Sabriye alleged in a Facebook post that the funds deducted were redirected to online influencers. According to Sabriye, these commentators were paid to praise the mayor’s performance and promote his policies, while long-serving community elders lost a vital source of support for their families.

“Mayor Muungaab boasted that he had cut off payments to Banaadir elders, but in reality, the money was reallocated to social media propagandists to sing his praises,” Sabriye wrote. “The elders once used these funds to feed their families, but now influencers use taxpayers’ money to mislead the public.”

The mayor’s approach has sparked growing frustration among Mogadishu residents, many of whom have recently voiced complaints over deteriorating roads, worsening traffic congestion, and frequent street closures. Critics argue that instead of addressing urgent urban challenges, the mayor has been preoccupied with reshuffling district commissioners and engaging in political maneuvering.

Muungaab, who was reappointed earlier this year, was initially welcomed back as a chance to improve governance in the capital. Yet, just 100 days into his tenure, discontent appears to be rising, with opposition figures and residents alike questioning his priorities and management of public resources.

So far, the Banaadir Regional Administration has not officially responded to the allegations of misusing funds for social media campaigns.

Mustaqbal