By Abdullahi Salad - Reporter
Somalia, 1 January 2026 The electoral commission has announced the results of the municipal elections held in the capital, Mogadishu, which recorded moderate participation in the first direct municipal vote in five decades. The elections resulted in the allocation of 390 seats across municipal councils in 16 districts.
According to official figures, the number of registered and eligible voters stood at 233,314, matching the number of voters who cast ballots. Of these, 210,586 votes were valid, while 22,728 were invalid.
Seat Distribution: Dominance of Five Major Parties
The results show a heavy concentration of seats among five political parties, which together secured 333 of the 390 seats, representing 85.4% of all municipal seats. The distribution is as follows:
● The Justice and Solidarity Party (Cadaaladda iyo Wadajirka), the ruling party, topped the results with 177 seats, accounting for 45.4% of the total, reaffirming its position as the leading political force in Mogadishu’s municipal councils.
● The Tawfiq Party (Towfiiq) came second with 49 seats, or 12.6% of the total, strengthening its standing as a key local political actor.
● The Ramaas Party (Ramaas) ranked third with 42 seats, representing 10.8%.
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● The Karaama Party (Karaama) placed fourth with 39 seats, equal to 10.0% of the seats.
● The Sincad Party (Sincad) completed the top five with 26 seats, or 6.7% of the total.
Political Implications
The outcome reflects a clear tendency among Mogadishu voters to concentrate their support around a limited number of parties with stronger organizational presence, while smaller parties captured the remaining share of seats. The figures also suggest that the forthcoming municipal councils will largely be shaped by balances led by the five dominant parties, foremost among them the Justice and Solidarity Party.
The Somali government says the elections mark an important step toward strengthening local governance and popular representation in the capital, amid expectations over how the new political landscape will affect municipal administration and public service delivery in the coming period.
The electoral commission also announced that it is receiving appeals against the results within the legally prescribed period, after which the final results will be submitted to the Supreme Court for approval and official proclamation.
