Overview
- Roughly 1,605 candidates are competing for 390 district council seats across Mogadishu, according to the national electoral commission.
- Authorities tightened security for the vote with a citywide lockdown, a large security deployment, and a temporary airport closure reported by officials.
- Opposition parties have boycotted and denounced the process as one-sided, accusing the government of trying to entrench power, which officials deny.
- The election does not select Mogadishu’s mayor because the capital’s constitutional status remains unresolved and the post is still appointed.
- The exercise serves as a test for expanding direct elections nationally after a 2024 law restored universal suffrage and a subsequent deal set 2026 for directly electing lawmakers while keeping the presidency chosen by parliament.