“I settled with my family in Sinka Dheer: At first, I thought it would be temporary, but now we’re in our 12th year,” said Kahiye, 46. Mohamed Gabobe/TNH One of the scores of informal settlements off the Mogadishu-Afgoye road. A lifetime ago, before arriving in Sinka Dheer, Adow was a pastoralist herding livestock near the town of Boco, on the banks of the Shabelle river. “If Sinka Dheer is recognised as a town or district, we would get a mayor, local council, and more,” he said. “Things won’t change overnight, but recognising some of these informal settlements is a beginning,” said the urban expert.