The disputed body claimed that more than 503,000 people had collected voter registration cards.

But did those registered voters actually turn out? And how was the voting process conducted?

This report is based on data collection, interviews, and direct observation from selected polling stations, including testimonies from journalists who accessed polling sites, others who were denied entry, individuals close to the disputed committee, government employees, and officials based in Mogadishu.

Throughout the day, Mogadishu was placed under a complete lockdown. Civilian movement and private transport were restricted, all businesses and markets were closed, and Aden Adde International Airport was shut down, suspending all domestic and international flights.

The lockdown severely disrupted daily life. Many residents were unable to access basic food supplies, particularly affecting poor and vulnerable communities. The restrictions also paralyzed economic activity, resulting in millions of dollars in losses during the single day exercise.

The shutdown of movement prevented many potential voters from reaching polling stations and effectively blocked independent media from freely covering the vote.

Media Access Denied, Influencers Promoted

Independent journalists were systematically barred from reporting at designated polling stations. Journalists we interviewed said that once they were identified as critical of President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s administration, they were denied election media accreditation.

Mogadishu-based journalist Hussein Mohamed wrote on X (formerly Twitter): “People are lining up at a polling station in Hodan district to cast their votes in an election that has been denounced by key opposition leaders. Journalists, including myself, were denied access to polling stations for unclear reasons.”

In the days leading up to the vote, we received multiple reports from local journalists alleging that the disputed electoral body offered bribes to media executives in exchange for positive coverage and to silence or suppress criticism during the election period.

These allegations deepen concerns about media manipulation, lack of transparency, and deliberate exclusion of independent journalism, severely undermining the credibility of the process and the public’s right to impartial information.

Instead of independent reporting, social media platforms were flooded with government-aligned influencers carrying badges labeled “media,” actively promoting the election on TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube.

This practice weakens the role of professional journalism and media oversight—assuming the election was genuinely inclusive—and deprives the public of diverse and critical perspectives. The impact of state-sponsored influencers replacing independent media as information gatekeepers is now clearly evident.

A Widely Contested Process

This election is widely recognized as disputed. Opposition groups, along with the Puntland and Jubaland regional administrations, issued a statement from Kismayo on 20 December, declaring that any unilateral or incomplete election would not be recognized.

The Somali Future Council alliance announced that on 20 January 2026, it would begin preparations for an alternative electoral process to select members of the 2026 Parliament, directly contradicting the election conducted today in Mogadishu under President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud.

Although elections were planned in 16 districts, turnout was extremely low in most designated polling stations, with participation largely limited to district headquarters.

Districts including Shangani, Shibis, Karaan, Wadajir, Hawlwadaag, Wardhiigley, Dharkeenley, and Dayniile recorded voting at only a handful of locations.

The Hassan Sheikh administration, which strongly pushed for the vote, compelled government employees to participate. Staff from the Banadir Regional Administration, as well as officers from the National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA) and the police, were seen lining up while presenting themselves as ordinary civilian voters.

Reported figures include:

• Shangani District: 120 voters; the polling station closed around 2:00 p.m. local time.
• Dayniile District: No voters at the Gurmadac center. At Al-Amal School, Ilays, Barwaaqo, Al-Marwaas, Daaru Salaam, and Daaru Xikma combined, only 24 people voted.
• Wadajir District: Approximately 100 voters.
• Shibis District: 54 voters, including 12 members of the Yemeni community and 42 district administration staff.
• The National Theatre: Recorded the highest turnout, largely due to its location near the presidential palace. It was frequented by government employees, intelligence officers, and police. The government used images from this site to inflate overall turnout figures.

Legal and Political Contradictions

Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre stated that he did not vote because he is from Kismayo, and Mogadishu is not his electoral constituency.

However, Deputy Prime Minister Salah Jama, originally from Hargeisa, and Interior Minister Ali Yusuf Hoosh, from Garowe, were both seen voting in Mogadishu.

This raises serious legal questions: If the Prime Minister declined to vote on constituency grounds, how does election law permit his ministers to do so?

Election law also requires that local government elections be prepared at least three months in advance. In this case, the entire process was organized in less than two weeks, in clear violation of legal provisions.

There was no election campaign and no open competition. The opposition rejected the process outright.

Although the disputed committee claimed that 20 political organizations participated, political analysts argue that 19 of them have no identifiable public figures, electoral base, or track record, and are effectively aligned with the ruling Justice and Solidarity Party (JSP).

Notably, all Mogadishu district commissioners are government appointees, yet the same individuals are contesting their own positions. No credible alternative candidates emerged, meaning that even if voting occurred, no meaningful change was possible. Furthermore, the Mayor of Mogadishu is not subject to election at this time.

The disputed electoral committee has not provided answers to the media questions regarding these issues.

Forced Voting and Public Distrust

Interviews conducted for this report—including with individuals who voted—indicate deep public skepticism. Many respondents do not believe a credible election took place and express little hope that a legitimate election can occur under current conditions, citing systematic legal violations and entrenched abuse of power.

A small number of media outlets that managed to report from outside polling stations documented cases of elderly people being forcibly brought to vote. One elderly man from Xamar Weyne said:

“I was on my way to the fish market in Xamar Weyne when I was forced at gunpoint. I have been sitting here since yesterday morning. I haven’t even been given a cup of tea. I don’t know what I’m voting for, because there was no choice given to me.”

Additionally, secretly obtained footage shows groups of internally displaced people being rounded up onto buses and threatened into compliance. The bus driver was heard saying, “This bus was hired by the government,” widely understood as a reference to the ruling Justice and Solidarity Party (JSP).

Today’s events in Mogadishu do more than deepen political divisions. They further erode public trust in elections and reinforce the perception that electoral processes are acts of deception rather than democratic choice.

Mogadishu citizens witnessed an election conducted without a campaign, without consensus, under lockdown, and carried out unilaterally by a single political group that already knew the outcome—leaving little doubt, in their view, about the credibility of the process.

The post Mogadishu Election: Lockdown, Restrictions, and Disputed Poll in a Fractured Country appeared first on Kaab TV.

The city is under lockdown, with roads, businesses, educational institutions, and key economic facilities—including the airport and seaport—closed due to the public election. Only authorized service vehicles are operating.

Security has been significantly tightened. Senior officials of the Federal Government have urged citizens to cast their votes, describing the election as a rare opportunity coming 58 years after the last such vote.

The Chairman of the National Independent Electoral Commission, Abdikarim Ahmed Hassan, called on voters to follow proper voting procedures and stated that the election is free and fair.

Districts have been divided into two categories, A and B. Category A districts—Hodan, Yaqshid, Dayniile, Karaan, Dharkeenley, Wadajir, Heliwaa, Hawlwadaag, and Warta Nabadda—will each elect 27 council members, in accordance with the electoral law.

Category B districts—Waaberi, Shibis, Xamar-Jajab, Boondheere, Xamar-Weyne, Cabdicasiis, and Shangaani—will each elect 21 council members.

The election is being contested by 20 political organizations, which have been campaigning across Mogadishu in recent days to win voters’ support.

According to the National Electoral Commission, voting is scheduled to conclude at 6:00 p.m. this evening.

The post Mogadishu Residents Turn Out for Controversial One Person, One Vote Election After 58 Years appeared first on Kaab TV.

However, the elections are facing serious disputes and strong disagreements, with many complaints about how the process is being conducted.

Some people believe that the elections are being driven by the outgoing president, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, whose term is nearing its end.

Role of the media in Mogadishu

Hussein Mohamed, a journalist who writes for The New York Times and a political analyst specializing in Somali affairs, has stated that there is widespread confusion surrounding how the elections in Mogadishu are being organized.

Among the most contested issues is the electoral commission, which opposition groups claim is biased toward one side. There are also many allegations regarding how members were selected from the president’s party, known as the JSP.

The president has only about four months remaining in his term, a situation that could push the country into political instability, especially since the electoral framework in Somalia remains unclear.

Hussein Mohamed also said that people have been forced to obtain voter cards. He explained: “This happened to me personally.

While I was traveling, my vehicle was stopped and I was required to get a card.” He added that such actions create serious problems and raise doubts about how people can trust the electoral process.

Residents of Mogadishu are increasingly concerned about the way things are unfolding, which undermines the possibility of holding an election in Somalia that is widely accepted and agreed upon by all sides.

The post The Role of Media in Disputed Elections and Corruption appeared first on Kaab TV.

Serving members of Somalia’s security forces, some with ties to the National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA), have been seen openly campaigning for President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s ruling Justice and Solidarity Party (JSP), despite electoral laws that prohibit police and military personnel from engaging in political activity or contesting elected office.

Among them is Abdirahman Mohamed Aw Ali, a former deputy NISA commander in Middle Shabelle who currently serves as a police officer and district commissioner of Wadajir in Mogadishu.

Colonel Aw Ali was photographed participating in JSP campaign activities as the party competes for seats on the Mogadishu district council.

Days earlier, Captain Abdullahi Ali Siyad of the Somali Police Force was also seen campaigning for the JSP.

A video circulated on social media on December 15 showed the officer—who is also the deputy district commissioner of Hawlwadaag—carrying a pistol while placing a JSP campaign poster.

The developments have sparked widespread criticism and renewed questions over the neutrality of police and national intelligence officers.

Just last week, Abdikarim Hassan, chairperson of the disputed National Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (NIEBC), publicly stated that security forces are barred from participating in elections.

“The police and the military are not allowed to be involved in the election,” Abdikarim said, despite his own past affiliation with the JSP.

President Mohamud’s administration maintains that the elections represent a historic step toward implementing a one-person, one-vote system for the first time in more than 60 years.

However, opposition groups in Mogadishu, along with the regional states of Puntland and Jubaland, have boycotted the process, accusing the federal government of engineering the vote to entrench the president’s hold on power.

Opposition MP Abdirahman Abdishakur described the process as deeply flawed, saying the presence of armed officers in campaign activities undermines the credibility of the vote.

“This is one-vote one-gun, not a one-person, one-vote election,” he wrote on his official Facebook page.

Opposition leaders are currently holding a three-day conference in Kismayo, the capital of Jubaland, to coordinate their response to the electoral process.

Further controversy surrounds the structure of the election itself. Although 20 organizations have reportedly been registered to contest the polls, only 16 of Mogadishu’s 20 officially recognized districts are allowed to participate for the council election, with no clear explanation provided for the exclusion of the remaining districts.

Election officials have also been accused of quietly accepting nominations of pre-screened candidates allegedly drawn from only three clans, fueling accusations of manipulation and exclusion.

The NIEBC has yet to issue an official statement addressing the involvement of security officers or the broader concerns raised by opposition groups and civil society.

Observers warn that without political consensus and transparency, Mogadishu risks heightened tensions and possible violence, as rival clans and political actors grow increasingly distrustful ahead of the vote.

The post Police Officers, Hand-picked Candidates and Exclusion Mark Mogadishu’s Forthcoming Election appeared first on Kaab TV.