Opinion - Somalia's First Elections in 56 Years: What Actually Happened

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.