Sources allege Somalia’s government officials are planning a large-scale passport and visa scheme to generate revenue ahead of elections, sparking new corruption allegations
NAIROBI, Kenya — Senior officials in Somalia’s government are planning to introduce a new passport under the guise of regional integration while secretly aiming to generate hundreds of millions of dollars for election campaigning, according to internal sources familiar with the scheme.
The alleged plan, described by multiple insiders within Villa Somalia, the presidential palace, involves President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre, and Mustaf Ali Duhulow, the Director of Immigration and Passport. It comes as the administration faces mounting criticism over corruption allegations and political maneuvering ahead of the 2026 elections.
The new passport, reportedly contracted to a Yugoslavian company, is ostensibly intended to allow Somali citizens to travel freely across the East African Community (EAC), which Somalia recently joined. However, internal investigations reveal the program’s primary purpose is to generate massive revenue through inflated fees, with projections estimating $300-$400 million that could fund political campaigns should the government fail to secure a term extension.
“This isn’t about regional integration; it’s a sophisticated fundraising operation designed to monetize government services,” said a senior official within the Somali government who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of retaliation. “The passport and visa programs have been transformed into a political cash machine.”
A Pattern of Controversy
The allegations emerge against a backdrop of ongoing corruption controversies that have plagued the Mohamud administration. Just months ago, in August 2025, the government faced widespread condemnation after authorizing a 32-person delegation to the United Nations General Assembly that included multiple family members of President Mohamud at an estimated cost of $1.5 million .
That delegation, described by critics as “a family vacation disguised as diplomacy,” included the president’s daughter, son, cousin, and even a nephew’s husband. The controversy was particularly stark given that Somalia recently announced it was struggling to pay salaries for civil servants, soldiers, and teachers while remaining heavily dependent on international aid .
The Somalia Salvation Forum, a coalition of opposition figures and lawmakers, announced in September 2025 that they would file lawsuits against President Mohamud and his government over alleged constitutional violations, corruption, and human rights abuses.
“These actions constitute corruption, abuse of power, and violations of human rights,” the forum stated, specifically highlighting illegal land sales and forced evictions of vulnerable citizens.
The Mechanics of the Scheme
According to documents reviewed by sources familiar with the planning, the revenue-generating operation involves three primary components:
Table: Alleged Revenue Sources in Somalia’s Travel Document Scheme
| Revenue Stream | Mechanism | Projected Revenue |
| Kenya Visa Overcharge | Charging $250 instead of official $35 fee via Kenyan eVisa | $100 million annually |
| Somalia e-Visa Fraud | Inflated processing fees for diaspora travelers | $50 million annually |
| New Passport Rollout | $150 fee per applicant for 2 million citizens | $300 million projected |
|
Total Estimated Revenue |
$300-400 million |
Sources confirm that the Somali government is charging citizens up to $250 through agents for Kenyan visas that normally cost $35 via Kenya’s official eVisa website. This side arrangement was allegedly struck between Kenyan immigration officials and Mustafa Duhulow, the Director of Somalia’s e-Visa program, who is already under scrutiny for siphoning millions through fraudulent processing fees.
The new passport program, scheduled for implementation after January 2026, would require approximately 2 million applicants to pay $150 each, generating an estimated $300 million in revenue.
The Regional Integration Dimension
The allegations present a significant challenge to Somalia’s relationship with the East African Community, which the country recently joined after a lengthy process. The EAC has strict requirements for member states regarding governance and anti-corruption measures.
Despite the government’s public positioning of the new passport as advancing regional integration, Somali representatives to the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) have not yet ratified or approved the passport integration plan, raising questions about the administration’s timing and motives.
“This scheme risks undermining Somalia’s fragile progress toward international legitimacy and regional cooperation,” said Abdiwahab Sheikh Abdisamad, executive director of the Institute for Horn of Africa Strategic Studies, who has previously criticized the administration’s governance approach.
Somalia’s passport currently ranks among the world’s weakest, with visa-free access to only 10 countries and visa-on-arrival entry to 33 others. The proposed upgrade would theoretically represent a significant improvement in mobility for Somali citizens, but sources indicate the primary beneficiaries would be political elites seeking to finance election campaigns.
Historical Context of Corruption
Corruption has long been identified as a severe problem in Somalia. The country consistently ranks at the bottom of Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index, scoring just 9 out of 100 in 2024 and placing 179th among 180 countries.
This is not the first time the Mohamud administration has faced serious corruption allegations. In July 2023, Finance Minister Dr. Elmi Mohamud Nur was abruptly dismissed just two days after he suspended two officials linked to President Mohamud over allegations of corruption and abuse of power.
Minister Nur had accused the officials of “actions detrimental to national interests, obstruction of the ministry’s administration, deliberate payment delays, unwarranted salary withholding, and hindrance to accessing the Somalia Financial Management Information System (SFMIS),” a World Bank and IMF-supported financial reporting system .
The dismissed officials were both closely associated with President Mohamud’s political party and were regarded as highly influential figures in the government’s financial sector. An insider stated that they held significant responsibility for releasing funds, “including kickbacks for the president and his family” .
Political Implications
The timing of the alleged passport scheme is particularly significant given the growing political tensions in Somalia. The Somalia Salvation Forum and other opposition groups have repeatedly accused President Mohamud of attempting to extend his mandate, which is due to expire on May 15, 2026.
In a September 2025 statement, the forum described the 2024 electoral law and the National Independent Electoral Commission as “a blatant deception” and warned they would not accept any delay to elections.
In an exclusive interview with the BBC, President Mohamud ruled out extending his term but defended his government’s handling of constitutional reforms, insisting that Somalia must press ahead with one-person, one-vote elections despite mounting opposition.
The revenue projections from the alleged passport and visa scheme—$300-400 million—would represent a massive war chest for any political party in a country where Somalia’s entire federal budget for 2024 was approximately $1 billion.
International Response
International donors, particularly Western nations that provide significant aid to Somalia, have historically been concerned about corruption in the country’s governance institutions.
A 2012 World Bank report alleged that about $130 million—or 68% of the funds the coalition government had received over the 2009-2010 period—were unaccounted for. More recently, the Somali National Audit Office reported that nearly $20 million in government funds remained unaccounted for since the beginning of Mohamud’s current term.
The United Nations has previously raised concerns about corruption in Somalia. In 2014, a UN monitoring group report stated: “Underlying corruption as a system of governance has not yet fundamentally changed and, in some cases, has arguably worsened. The monitoring group has consistently found patterns of misappropriation, with diversion rates of between 70 and 80%”.
As of publication, the Somali government had not responded to specific requests for comment about the alleged passport and visa scheme. The offices of President Mohamud, Prime Minister Barre, and Immigration Director Duhulow all declined to answer detailed questions about the allegations.
With the 2026 elections approaching and political tensions rising, the controversy surrounding the proposed passport scheme threatens to further destabilize a nation still grappling with security challenges from Al-Shabaab militants and ongoing economic fragility.
