A Somali-American businessman who used embezzled US COVID-19 relief funds to build a 12-storey luxury apartment block in Nairobi has been sentenced to 28 years in prison by a US federal court.
The 36-year-old was convicted of leading a multi-million-dollar fraud scheme involving a government-funded programme meant to feed underprivileged children during the pandemic.
He was accused of syphoning at least $42 million (Ksh5.4 billion) from the programme and diverting the funds to purchase luxury goods and invest in properties, including the high-rise under construction in Nairobi, according to Sahan Journal and court documents.
The court heard that the businessman pocketed about $8 million (Ksh1.03 billion) for personal use, purchasing luxury cars, funding a lavish lifestyle in the United Arab Emirates, and developing real estate in Nairobi. Acting US Attorney Joe Thompson told the court that Farah had sent at least $1 million (Ksh129.2 million) overseas to finance the apartment complex.
US District Judge Nancy Brasel described the Somali-American's scheme as "breathtakingly elaborate", adding that he acted out of "pure unmitigated greed". The judge further noted that the repercussions of the crime would be felt for years, especially within the Somali-American refugee community.
Prosecutors branded the businessman one of the worst offenders in the $300 to $400 million (Ksh38.8 billion to Ksh51.7 billion) Feeding Our Future fraud, which saw dozens of defendants charged. According to investigators, he used his Minnesota-based restaurant, Empire Cuisine & Deli, as a shell to submit fake invoices and falsified records for food programmes that never took place.
Authorities said the businessman transferred millions to offshore accounts and tried to flee the US using a fraudulently obtained passport after the FBI seized his original travel documents. He was apprehended at the airport with a one-way ticket to Kenya in 2022.
In addition to passport fraud, he was also convicted of attempting to bribe a juror during his trial in 2024 in exchange for a not-guilty vote. He pleaded guilty in that case and is expected to receive another 8 to 10 years in prison.
Before sentencing, the businessman delivered a tearful apology, expressing regret for the damage caused to his family. “I have destroyed everything I worked for,” he said. “I’ve missed many of the milestones. They don’t deserve that.”
The businessman's wife and around two dozen supporters were present in court at the time of sentencing; many wept as the former businessman acknowledged the pain his actions had inflicted on his loved ones.
Despite his emotional plea, the court emphasised that Farah had been given every opportunity to succeed in the United States. “You achieved the American dream,” said Judge Brasel. “But when the pandemic started and others sought to help, you sought to get rich.”
The US government has so far recovered an estimated $60–$75 million (Ksh7.75 billion to Ksh9.7 billion) of the embezzled funds but believes much more remains untraceable, particularly the amounts transferred overseas.
The businessman's Nairobi investment is now part of the investigation into the global laundering of embezzled relief funds. Kenyan authorities have yet to comment on the possible seizure or freezing of the Nairobi-based asset.
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