Law No. 10 at Centre of Dispute Over State Land in Somalia

[Deeq A.]

Hassan Mohamed Hussein: “State property and land previously occupied by squatters since 1991 have proved a security loophole exploited by terrorists, in addition to being an eyesore in the capital of Somalia.”

Mogadishu (PP Report) — The Mayor of Mogadishu, Hassan Mohamed Hussein (Muungaab), cites articles in Law No. 10 (1980), which the Federal Government of Somalia and the Federal Member States invoke to oversee local governments in granting land permission and transferring ownership from state to private hands.

In his first term in office (2012–2017), President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s government granted land permission to areas in South Mogadishu. Former Somali President Sharif Sheikh Ahmed campaigned on reversing this decision during the 2017 Somali presidential elections. In his tweets on government property reallocated by Mogadishu Municipality (Local Government) , Sharif uses the phrases “land-grab” and “exploitation.” Abdiqasim Salad Hassan, President of the Transitional National Government of Somalia (2000–2004), applied Law No. 10 (1980) to grant land permissions in the Hodan district.

“State property and land previously occupied by squatters since 1991 have proved a security loophole exploited by terrorists, in addition to being an eyesore in the capital of Somalia. The law empowers Mogadishu Municipality to make decisions on any state land and property in Banaadir,” said the Mayor of Mogadishu.

The Council of Salvation led by Sharif Sheikh Ahmed frames the issue as unlawful evictions and seems to regard Law No. 10 (1980) as defunct. Puntland Post shares an overview of the law, which is still in force more than 34 years after the overthrow of the government that promulgated it.

Key Provisions of Law No. 10 (1980)

Law No. 10 of 17 December 1980 regulates the administration of urban land in Mogadishu (Banaadir Region). It transferred responsibilities from the Ministry of Housing Public Works to the Mogadishu Municipality (Local Government) and set rules for allocation, use and registration of state-owned land. It established the legal framework for allocating and administering urban land in Mogadishu. While Somali citizens could obtain rights of permanent use, these were conditional on registration, conformity with the municipal master plan and timely construction.

Article 1 – Authority and Administration Land administration in the Banadir (Mogadishu) region, particularly land allocated for permanent use, was transferred from the Ministry of Housing and Public Works to the Mogadishu Municipality.

Article 5 – Granting of Permanent Use and Record-Keeping Individuals granted land for permanent use (daminyaale) must forward a copy of their permit to the Ministry of Housing Public Works so it can be entered in the national land register.

Article 8 – Eligibility and Pricing All Somali citizens aged 18 or above may apply for land. A fixed price per square metre applies, unless the applicant already owns another plot in Mogadishu. The Mayor may make exceptions.

Article 19 – Transfer of Records to the Municipality Registers, maps and land documents concerning permanent use must be transferred from the Ministry of Housing and Public Works to the Mogadishu Municipality.

Article 21 – Classification of Land Two categories of urban land: temporary use (munishibaale) and permanent use (daminyaale). Permanent structures may only be built on permanent-use land.

Article 23 – Registration of Land All land must be registered with the Land Administration Department. The Mogadishu Municipality is responsible for adjudicating land disputes and maintaining the official land register.

Article 24 – Zoning and Master Planning Land can only be allocated if it falls within the municipality’s master plan, which regulates settlement, residential, industrial, commercial and other land uses.

Building Requirement Recipients of permanent-use land must construct a permanent building within two years of allocation. Failure to build may result in the loss of land rights.

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© Puntland Post, 2025

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