MOGADISHU, Somalia – SIMAD University in Mogadishu is facing growing criticism and serious allegations of political corruption and illegal land appropriation, with claims linking the institution to top officials in Somalia’s Federal Government.
Businessman Mohamed Mahmoud Wheliye, accused the university of being built on public land originally reserved for social housing during the era of the former socialist regime.
He alleged that senior government figures, including President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, are among the university’s founders and beneficiaries.
“SIMAD has become a symbol of how public resources were turned into private wealth by a political elite,” Wheliye said in remarks circulated by local media. He described the university as a breeding ground for what he termed “political thieves” who have enriched themselves by selling off state land and displacing vulnerable families.
According to Wheliye, the land on which SIMAD University is built was intended for low-income housing and public benefit, but was allegedly seized without due process and converted into private educational property.
Neither SIMAD University nor the Office of the President has commented on the allegations. The accusations come amid rising public concern over land grabbing and forced evictions in Mogadishu, where residents have repeatedly protested the sale of public land for private gain.
Founded on November 6, 1999, SIMAD University is one of Somalia’s leading private higher education institutions. Despite its academic reputation, the school has long faced quiet scrutiny over its ownership and origins.
