Nairobi — A UN agency is investigating three Somali businessmen with diverse business interests in Kenya on suspicion of diverting food aid to Al Shabaab militia.

The businessmen- Abdulkadir Eno, Abukar Adani and Mohammed- Deylaf - are reportedly involved in commodities imports such as sugar and operate NGOs which are suspected to be serving as a front from their activities in Somalia.

According to the reports, the three are alleged to have been misappropriating food aid meant for the Somali people and diverting it to the Al Shabaab, the main Islamist insurgency group, which is battling the government and controls much of southern Somalia.

Business associates of the three told the Star that Eno has his operations in Mombasa while Adani lives in Saudi Arabia and Deylaf is based in Djibouti.

"Among the three, it's Eno who operates here. The rest just run their network of businesses in Kenya," stated a source, who did not want to be named for security reasons.

Deylaf and Eno have denied misappropriating food aid to help Al Shabaab.

The Star established that Eno has an office in Westlands Nairobi and Mombasa where he has been contracted by the World Food Programme to transport food aid meant for distribution to the Somali people.

Eno is associated with the Deeqa Construction & Water Well Drilling Co.

Ltd which is the one contracted to carry out the WFP food transportation and distribution. The company has an office along Mpaka road in Westlands. Attempts to contact him at his Mombasa and Nairobi offices were fruitless as his land lines and cell phones went unanswered.

Eno, his wife Khadija and an Australian national, are said to run an NGO, SAACID which is among the few NGOs that is trusted by both Somali and international aid agencies and donors. The NGO has been linked to unsuccessful disarmament programmes in Somalia.

Khadija's brother, a Mr. Osoble, runs a travel agency- Cosob- which has offices in Nairobi and Dubai.

Adani, the Dubai based businessman is said to be one of the financiers of the ICU which was routed out of power in Somali three years ago. Some of the ICU elements metamorphosed into Al Shabaab which is currently controlling a large chunk of Somali.

Adani is alleged to be behind the sugar smuggling business. Sources close to the investigation indicated that Adani imports the sugar from Brazil to Kismayu which is then smuggled into Kenya through Liboi, Wajir and Garissa.

Proceeds from the sale of the smuggled sugar goes into funding the Al Shabab.

According to a report in the Wall Street journal, the U.N. Monitoring Group on Somalia are looking for Adani along with some family members and a network of companies they control.

Adani's son, Abdulkadir Abukar Omar Adani, who is the managing partner of the Family's main trading company, Swift Traders East Africa Co. told The Journal that the Adani family supports the current government.

But he said that to transport food in the country, his company was sometimes forced to do business with groups such as Al Shabab.

Adani said representatives from his company negotiate with these groups and sometimes are required to pay them.

"Sometimes they impose on you," he said. Payments are part of doing business, and shouldn't be interpreted as a sign of support for the rebel group, he said. "We are not involved in any politics," he said.

Deylaf said he hasn't provided support to insurgents and supports the government.

Eno also denied supporting insurgent groups and said he has a financial interest in backing the government, which controls just a portion of the capital, Mogadishu.

"Our company believes that once peace and stability are attained in Somalia, then our business activities would be sustainable," he said.