The announcement came from Abdikarim Ahmed Hassan, Chairperson of the National Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission, who confirmed that registration centres across the capital will open their doors to the public starting tomorrow.

This moment is especially historic for Mogadishu residents, who will be registering to vote for the first time in nearly 50 years. The initiative is part of a broader push to steer the country away from the clan-based power-sharing model that has defined its political system for decades.

President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, who took office in 2022, pledged last year to move Somalia toward a more inclusive, democratic process. Since then, the federal Cabinet has passed two key pieces of legislation aimed at introducing a one-person, one-vote system. If all goes according to plan, Somalia will hold its first direct presidential election in more than half a century by 2026.

Somalia last conducted direct elections in 1967. Since then, its electoral system has largely relied on clan elders and indirect representation, a method criticised for marginalising many citizens and fuelling political fragmentation.

Observers say the success of this process could set the stage for more transparent, accountable leadership in Somalia and inspire similar reforms across the Horn of Africa.

--ChannelAfrica--