MOGADISHU (KAAB TV) — Somalia’s Minister of Agriculture, Mohamed Abdi Hayir Maareeye, has raised concerns over the misuse of vehicles donated to the Somali government by international organizations like the UN and the European Union (EU).
According to the minister, some of these vehicles are being seized by government officials for personal use.
Speaking at an event where four vehicles, previously scrapped, were rehabilitated with funding from the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Minister Maareeye detailed the extent of the problem.
“These vehicles were almost destroyed and abandoned as scrap. When I took office, I asked how this happened, and I was told it was due to negligence by former officials,” he said.
Maareeye, who has held several other ministerial positions in the past, lamented that some government officials routinely exploit donated vehicles, using them for personal purposes.
Once the vehicles are damaged, they are often abandoned in garages, only for new ones to be donated by international partners.
“It’s tragic that vehicles funded by taxpayers in Western nations, through the UN, EU, and others, are given to Somalia with no proper accountability,” the minister noted.
He added that despite his efforts to intervene, he has often faced resistance and personal attacks for speaking out against this misuse.
The Somali government has long been accused of cronyism, with reports of high-ranking officials hiring friends, clan relatives, and family members who gain access to government vehicles.
This practice led to a scandal last year when several government vehicles went missing, allegedly taken by officials who failed to return them after leaving office.
The issue of vehicle misuse highlights a broader challenge of transparency and accountability within Somali institutions, which continue to receive vital support from international donors.