Author: Abdihakim Siyad

For decades, journalism in North Eastern Kenya was largely viewed as a profession dominated by men. Cultural barriers, limited opportunities and deeply rooted stereotypes kept many women away from newsrooms, field reporting and leadership positions in the media. The profession was often perceived as demanding, risky and unsuitable for women, leaving many talented voices unheard. Today, however, that story is slowly changing. Across Garissa, Wajir and Mandera counties, women are steadily claiming their place in journalism. They are reporting from conflict zones, producing radio programmes, writing investigative stories, managing digital platforms and highlighting issues that directly affect their communities. Their…

As the political season gradually gathers momentum ahead of Kenya’s next General Election, a familiar pattern is once again unfolding across North Eastern Kenya. Long before official campaigns begin, negotiations are already taking place in homes, hotels, community halls and elders’ meetings. Across Wajir, Garissa and Mandera, clans are carefully positioning themselves, weighing political alliances and seeking consensus on who should carry their banner for the various elective seats. This tradition, commonly referred to as negotiated democracy, has shaped the region’s politics for years. It has often minimized divisive election contests, but it has also raised an important question that…

The political message from Ol Kalou was loud, unmistakable and impossible for the Kenya Kwanza administration to ignore. What was expected to be a straightforward victory for the ruling United Democratic Alliance (UDA) instead ended in a stunning defeat, handing former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua’s Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP) a symbolic and potentially consequential win in the heart of Mt. Kenya. On paper, it was only a by-election. In reality, it has become one of the most closely scrutinized political contests since the 2022 General Election because of what it may reveal about the shifting political mood in…

The world’s maritime arteries are once again under unprecedented pressure. From the Red Sea to the Persian Gulf, geopolitical tensions have transformed some of the world’s busiest shipping routes into strategic battlegrounds. The conflict involving the Houthis in Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Israel, the United States and Iran has gone far beyond a regional security crisis. It has evolved into a global economic challenge whose consequences are being felt from Asia to Europe and increasingly across Africa. The Bab el-Mandeb Strait and the Strait of Hormuz are not simply narrow waterways on a map. Together, they form the backbone of global…

For decades, North Eastern Kenya occupied a distinctive place in Kenya’s electoral politics. The counties of Garissa, Wajir, Mandera, Isiolo and Marsabit often leaned toward opposition politics, particularly during the era of former Prime Minister Raila Odinga’s presidential bids. While local clan dynamics, individual candidates and constituency interests always influenced voting patterns, the broader regional perception remained consistent: North Eastern was generally viewed as an opposition-leaning bloc whose electoral choices reflected both historical grievances and a desire for alternative national leadership. Today, however, that political identity is undergoing one of the most significant transformations since the return of multiparty democracy.…

Somalia’s electoral debate has entered a new and more complicated phase after former President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed “Farmaajo” and the Nabad iyo Nolol movement unveiled an alternative electoral proposal just days after the Somali Future Council (SFC) presented its Transitional Direct Elections Model (TDEM) 202 What initially appeared to be a contest between the Federal Government and a united opposition has rapidly evolved into a broader debate over competing visions for the country’s political transition, with Farmaajo’s intervention reshaping the dynamics ahead of the next round of internationally mediated negotiations. The significance of Farmaajo’s proposal lies not only in its…

As Kenya steadily marches toward the 2027 General Election, political conversations across North Eastern Kenya are becoming louder, more frequent, and increasingly familiar. Aspirants are positioning themselves, alliances are taking shape, and communities are beginning to debate who should occupy the region’s most influential political offices. Yet beneath the excitement of another electoral cycle lies a question that many residents have been asking for years: why does a region blessed with immense potential continue to struggle with some of the same development challenges decade after decade? For too long, elections in North Eastern Kenya have largely revolved around personalities, clan…

For much of the past three decades, Somalia’s security challenges have largely been viewed through the lenses of terrorism, piracy, state-building and humanitarian crises. International military engagement in the country focused primarily on stabilisation, counterterrorism operations and supporting the reconstruction of state institutions. Today, however, a different strategic picture is beginning to emerge.Recent reporting by Le Monde Afrique suggests that Somalia and the wider Horn of Africa are increasingly attracting the attention of major global and regional powers for reasons extending far beyond counterterrorism. According to the publication, Turkey is pursuing plans to develop a major launch facility on Somalia’s…

Somalia’s long-running political standoff between the Federal Government and Puntland took a dramatic turn on Thursday night after Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre delivered one of his strongest public attacks yet against Puntland President Said Abdullahi Deni, defending the Federal Government’s recruitment of security personnel from Puntland and declaring that the soldiers stationed in Bosaso ultimately answer to the national government. Speaking during the closing ceremony of Somalia’s Independence Week celebrations in Mogadishu, Prime Minister Hamza delivered a passionate speech that many political observers are likely to interpret as the clearest indication yet of the Federal Government’s determination to expand…

President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud used the closing ceremony of Somalia’s Independence Week celebrations to deliver one of his most comprehensive national addresses in recent years, outlining an ambitious vision centered on security, democratic transformation, national reconciliation, education and Somalia’s sovereignty. Speaking before thousands of Somalis gathered at Taleh Junction in Mogadishu, the President declared that the country stands at a historic turning point, insisting that Somalia has moved beyond the politics of division and is entering a new era built on democratic governance, institutional politics and national unity. At the heart of his speech was a renewed commitment to eliminating…