Somali opposition leaders have accused the Somali government of coercing Kahda residents into registering for elections as part of a broader intimidation campaign.
Former Prime Minister Hassan Ali Khaire said security forces were pressuring citizens. He said the process violates constitutional rights and lacks national consensus or legal credibility.
Khaire said such actions threaten Somalia’s fragile stability, urging President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s government to stop using force to push a political agenda.
Former Mogadishu Mayor Thabit Abdi also condemned the reported abuses, saying Kahda residents have always stood by the state and deserve respect, not coercion.
“No government can strip Kahda of its voice,” Thabit said. “The people there are proud and will defend their rights peacefully but firmly.”
He said ignoring local concerns could deepen divisions and worsen tensions in underserved districts with little government support.
Former President Sheikh Sharif Ahmed accused the federal government of targeting Kahda unfairly, saying the move divides the capital and undermines public confidence.
Residents in Kahda, Darusalam, and Gubadley say they’ve been barred from registering in their own districts and told to travel to neighboring areas instead.
“It’s wrong to single out a district like Kahda,” he said. “These residents pay taxes and deserve equal treatment, like everyone else.”
Sheikh Sharif said using threats to drive voter registration discredits the process and weakens the progress Somalia has made in building democratic institutions.
Opposition leaders say the upcoming elections lack transparency and input from both Somali political and civil society voices.
Civil society groups also raised concerns about alleged forced voter registration across Mogadishu.
Somalia’s controversial electoral commission denied all allegations. The body said voter registration continues across the capital without pressure or interference.
Analysts warn that if these claims are true, they could erode trust and reverse Somalia’s fragile democratic gains.
