Sunday, May 31, 2026 (Baidoa Online) -The United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is set to launch investigations into real estate assets in Kenya owned by Somali individuals alleged to have links to a major public assistance fraud case in the US state of Minnesota.
Among the first locations expected to come under scrutiny are high-value residential properties in Nairobi’s Kileleshwa district, an area that has become a popular destination for investment by Somali businesspeople.
Reports indicate that some of the properties are linked to an individual arrested on allegations of misappropriating funds from US public support programmes. Investigators are expected to examine whether assets in Kenya were purchased using proceeds connected to the alleged fraud.
The inquiry in Nairobi, as well as in other areas where Somali investors have established businesses and property holdings, is being closely monitored amid concerns that the investigation could have broader implications for Somali-owned companies and commercial interests.
FBI investigations into real estate assets in Kenya owned by Somali individuals alleged to have links to the sprawling Minnesota public funds fraud cases, including the Feeding Our Future scheme, which federal prosecutors say involved the theft of approximately $250 million from a federally funded child nutrition programme during the COVID-19 pandemic. Authorities have charged nearly 80 individuals in the case, with most — though not all — of those charged or convicted being members of Minnesota’s Somali-American community.