Why Kenyans should follow ongoing elections in Somalia keenly

Somalia needs a visionary leader to make a paradigm shift toward sustainable peace and prosperity. [iStockphoto]

I was recently in Somalia and had the opportunity to meet politicians, businesspeople and civil society groups to collect insights about the ongoing political situation in the country. An unstable Somalia is a security threat to Kenya. Therefore, Kenyans should keenly follow the electoral process in Somalia so as to prepare for any eventuality.

The ongoing House of the People (HOP) elections can point at who will become the next president at a critical juncture in Somalia’s history. The past few weeks have seen Federal Member States (FMS) conduct a majority of their HOPs elections, which have been mired by serious allegations of rigging and electoral malpractices.