MOGADISHU, Somalia – Daily labourers and young drivers of tuk-tuks and freight vehicles in Mogadishu are voicing growing frustration over what they describe as forced voter registration that is interfering with their livelihoods.
According to multiple accounts, security forces in various districts of the capital have been rounding up workers from roadsides and job sites, taking them to voter registration centres against their will. Those affected say the process consumes hours of their workday, disrupting their ability to earn a living.
“I went out looking for work, but instead I was picked up and taken to register. I spent hours there and ended up losing the whole day,” said Abdi Farah, a 24-year-old tuk-tuk driver.
The issue arises as Somalia’s Independent Electoral Commission has extended the voter registration period until July 15, in an effort to increase participation. But workers say the registration drive is being carried out with coercion, rather than awareness or outreach.
“This is not how democracy should function,” said one freight worker who asked not to be named. “We are not against voting, but forcing us while we are trying to feed our families is unfair.”
Local authorities have not commented publicly on the accusations, though civil society groups have called for a more transparent and voluntary approach to voter registration.
The government hopes the ongoing voter registration campaign will lay the groundwork for broader democratic reforms in the Horn of Africa nation, which is still recovering from decades of conflict and instability.
