Let me be direct: what happened on December 25, 2025, had never happened in Somalia since 1969. Real voters. Real ballots. Real counting. After 56 years of appointed councils, clan negotiations, and backroom deals, over 233,000 Mogadishu residents actually cast votes for their local representatives.
I know because I helped build this system from scratch. And I know the critics will say 233,000 voters in a city of over three million isn't impressive. They're missing the point entirely.
The Real Story: Building Something from Nothing
When President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud took office in May 2022, Somalia's electoral infrastructure didn't just need reform—it didn't exist. We had a provisional constitution nobody could agree on, federal member states that barely coordinated with Mogadishu, and Al-Shabaab controlling territory where millions of Somalis lived.
The critics who now complain about the process conveniently forget what the alternative was: another round of indirect clan-based selections where power brokers in hotel rooms decided who represented communities, they'd never set foot in.
Here's what we actually did. The National Consultative Council (NCC) brought together the Federal Government and Federal Member States for over ten meetings between June 2022 and August 2023. I served as Secretary of the NCC from my position as Chief of Staff in the President's Office. These weren't photo-op sessions—these were hard negotiations where we had to get NCC members to agree on constitutional amendments that would actually allow elections to happen.
We forwarded agreements to the Constitution Review Committees, who refined them into formal constitutional amendments. Parliament debated, revised, and passed four constitutional charters. Then came the practical work: drafting the Independent Election and Boundaries Commission Bill, the Political Associations Bill, and the General Elections Bill. I was one of the lead drafters on all three.
This wasn't theoretical work. These bills had to establish voter registration systems in a country where most people lack official identification. They had to create electoral districts in cities where clan boundaries don't map neatly to neighbourhoods. They had to set up complaint mechanisms in a society where disputes traditionally get settled by elders, not courts.
Why the Opposition Stayed Home
Let's address the elephant in the room: several opposition groups boycotted the Mogadishu elections. They claimed the process lacked inclusivity, questioned the legal framework, and said the timeline was rushed.
Here's what they won't tell you: they boycotted because they knew they would lose.
The same opposition figures who now claim the process was flawed had every opportunity to participate in the constitutional negotiations. They were invited to high level meetings in line with NCC meetings. They could have submitted input during the parliamentary review. They had seats in Parliament when the electoral bills were debated. Instead, they waited until it became clear that the Justice and Solidarity Party (JSP) had genuine grassroots support, then declared the whole system illegitimate.
It's a familiar playbook: participate when you think you'll win, boycott when you realize you won't, then claim the results don't count.
The timing complaint is particularly disingenuous. Yes, we moved quickly once the legal framework was in place. That's because Somalis are tired of waiting. Every delay gives spoilers more time to undermine the process. Every postponement tells
that our government can't deliver. We set a timeline, although several times delayed, we finally met it.
What 47% Actually Means
The Justice and Solidarity Party (JSP) won approximately 47% of votes cast in Mogadishu. As Deputy Secretary General of JSP, I led our primary elections and helped coordinate the campaign. That number represents something the critics can't explain away: in a competitive field with multiple parties, nearly half of voters chose to endorse the President's vision for Somalia.
This wasn't a coronation. It was a real contest where parties had to convince voters, not clan elders. Where candidates knocked on doors instead of cutting deals in hotel suites. Where results came from ballot boxes, not negotiations.
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The 233,000-turnout figure needs context. This was Somalia's first biometric voter registration. First time many Somalis had ever seen a ballot. First election under active Al-Shabaab threats. The fact that we got six-figure turnout in those conditions isn't a failure—it's proof the system works.
What Made the Difference: Leadership
I've worked in Somali politics long enough to know that good ideas die without leadership. Previous administrations talked about elections for years. They held conferences. They passed resolutions. Nothing happened. Nothing came into effect.
President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud made the difference because he understood something his predecessors didn't: you can't wait for perfect conditions in Somalia. You build the system while fighting Al-Shabaab. You register voters while negotiating with federal member states. You hold elections while critics complain it can't be done.
The President personally oversaw the IEBC formation. He intervened when issues stalled. He maintained international support when donors got nervous about the timeline. He kept the process moving when it would have been easier to postpone and blame security concerns.
That's leadership. Not waiting for consensus that will never come. Not delaying until conditions are perfect. Actually delivering what Somalis have been promised for decades.
What Comes Next
Mogadishu was the test case. Now we need to expand this to Federal Member States and eventually to federal government elections, event beyond the 11th Parliament’s term, in case time does not allow. That means more constitutional work, more negotiations, more infrastructure development.
It also means addressing legitimate concerns about inclusivity. Not only the bad-faith boycott complaints, but real issues about access in areas we don't fully control, about ensuring minority clans have fair representation, about building trust in communities that have seen too many broken promises.
The path forward requires what got us here: practical leadership, legal innovation, and willingness to act while others debate whether action is possible. We proved elections can happen in Somalia. Now we need to prove they can happen everywhere in Somalia.
The Bottom Line
On December 25, 2025, Somalis voted for the first time in 56 years. The system wasn't perfect. The turnout could have been higher. The opposition could have participated.
But here's what actually matters: it happened. Real people cast real votes that were actually counted. The losing candidates accepted the results. No violence. No chaos. No backroom deals overturning the popular vote.
That's the foundation. Everything else we can build on it. But you can't build anything if you never start.
We started. And despite what the critics say, that changes everything.Dr Hussein Sheikh Mohamud is a Senior Advisor to the President on Constitutional Affairs and Deputy Secretary General of the Justice and Solidarity Party (JSP).
**The opinion expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Dawan Africa.
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