By WDM — Published November 17, 2024
In Somalia, the concept of “Nomadia”—a fusion of pastoral democracy and modern statecraft—was meant to provide a governance model grounded in both tradition and effective civil administration. However, reality has fallen far short of our aspirations. Today, institutions are largely dysfunctional, serving symbolic roles while power has become dangerously concentrated in the hands of a single political figure.
With unrestrained control over the executive, legislative, and judicial branches, this leader has effectively sidelined traditional authorities, undermining the very foundation of Somali pastoral democracy.
Public institutions designed to ensure accountability—such as the Public Service Commission or vetting mechanisms in security—have collapsed. Even when this political figure remains unresponsive for days, no one dares intervene, reflecting a troubling culture of fear and inertia.
When traveling abroad, they act unilaterally, often without forming official delegations or reporting back to Parliament. This has created a governance culture known locally as Madax-ka-Nool, or “nothing moves without the president’s nod,” coined in Puntland to describe this debilitating micromanagement. Parliament has become a rubber stamp, lacking real oversight and access to independent auditors or accountants.
Consequently, development, social services, and humanitarian efforts rely almost entirely on aid from international organizations—funds that have diminished due to global crises like the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East. Without a domestic budget to sustain essential services, life in many parts of our country is at a standstill.
Within this environment, some government officials exhibit disturbing cruelty, seeming to derive pleasure from the suffering of others. Procurement processes are chaotic, and the rule of law has become hollow. Religious, civic, and personal rights are treated as negotiable rather than fundamental.
Amid institutional collapse, clan loyalty has supplanted allegiance to the constitution—becoming the default means of survival and support for many Somalis. Until we rebuild genuinely representative institutions, perfected through fair elections and real public suffrage, this situation is unlikely to improve. But these reforms cannot take hold while our public institutions remain fragile and manipulated.
Warsame Policy & Media Network (WAPMEN) 
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