Nairobi, Kenya(Mogadishu24)-The Somali Embassy in Kenya was involved in a financial scandal; the top diplomats of Somalia accused one another. At the center of the controversy is a renovation project that began in 2015 but has grown to a legal case in Kenyan courts, likely to create a rift in diplomatic relations between Somalia and Kenya.
The current renovation project was spearheaded by the community a few years ago, with overwhelming participation from the Somali diaspora living in Kenya. According to Ambassador Fathudin Ali Mohamed, Somalia's current envoy to Turkey, the renovation was a very transparent process guided by a committee that enjoyed the confidence of the community.
"The renovation of the embassy, which began in 2015, was a work derived from the whole community of Somalis here in Kenya, led by a committee that enjoys the confidence and respect of the public," Fathudin explained.
However, things took a different turn when Ambassador Mahmoud Noor Tarsan was appointed to the post of Somali Ambassador to Kenya. Fathudin avers that upon assuming duty, Tarsan refused to recognize the renovation works being done and refused to pay Kingsley, the construction firm refurbishing the embassy. This compelled the firm to seek legal redress in Kenyan courts.
"When Ambassador Tarsan came, he denied the work done and would not pay the firm that executed the renovation, though the community was willing to pay for it," Ambassador Fathudin continued.
"And this denial unnecessarily took the matter to court by Kingsley Company. Ambassador Tarsan's inability at management is what got our reputable embassy into court."
Counterclaims by Ambassador Tarsan
Contrarily, former Somali Ambassador Mahmoud Noor Tarsan has vehemently denied the allegations, painting a totally different scenario. He claimed there was no valid renovation work carried out at the embassy under his watch and accused Ambassador Fathudin of soliciting funds for a project that has not been executed.
Tarsan said, "Fathudin Ali Mohamed, who turns out to be the ambassador in Turkey, came to me and requested that I add $200,000 to the contributions being collected. When I confronted him who the money was for, he claimed that this would be for this company. I refused because there was no renovation work given out at the embassy."
Tarsan said the Somali community wasn't aware of the usage of the funds and added that Fathudin's effort meant the misguiding of the masses. "There was never a clear explanation about where the funds were going, and I could not in good conscience approve additional payments for work that hadn't been carried out."
The Somali Embassy in Kenya, located in Nairobi's upscale neighborhood of Gigiri, has for a long period of time been the focal point of diplomatic activity by Somalia and a contact point for the teeming Somali diaspora in Kenya.
A renovation project was put in place as a means of restoring the damaging infrastructure of the embassy with huge contributions streaming in from the Somali community.
In 2015, it took the renovation plan into its hands through a committee comprising trusted members of the community. It then raised money through diaspora contributions. Kingsley Company was contracted to do the refurbishment works, and according to him, the company actually started the job in the same year.
According to Fathudin, until the appointment of Ambassador Tarsan, the renovation project went on smoothly without hitches.
This is not the first time the diplomatic missions of Somalia take center stage over financial management. In 2017, the Somali Embassy in the United States was at the center of censure over mismanagement of funds meant for cultural programs, with loud calls thereafter for greater accountability within all overseas diplomatic posts.
Legal and Diplomatic Ramifications
The case is now in Kenyan courts, but there are growing concerns over the spillover effects on broader diplomacy. As the dispute settles in, it might depress Somalia's diplomatic standing further in Kenya amidst an already fragile relationship, with disputes over maritime borders and security cooperation.
"We cannot afford such incidents that tarnish the picture of Somalia abroad to this date; this isn't just finances; it's a matter of our national dignity," said Ahmed Ali, a prominent functionary of the Somali diaspora in Kenya. "The Somali government needs to step in and resolve this matter with transparency."
The court case had left many in the Somali community questioning the management of embassy funds and the accountability of diplomats entrusted with public resources. "This scandal is a wake-up call; it highlights the need to better oversee how our embassies are run," added Ali.
For the time being, the legality of the Embassy of Somalia stays in limbo while there is no official pronouncement coming from the Somali government. Analysts say the outcome of the case could set a precedent on how all Somali diplomatic missions should deal with financial disputes in the future.
It is a simmering tension in these proceedings being watched keenly by the Somali community in Kenya and diplomatic observers; since accusations from both sides became heated exchanges, it may eventually come down to what the truth of the event was in court.
