The Weaponization of Incompetence: How President Hassan Sheikh’s Leadership Failed Somalia
For the first time in Somalia’s modern history, a president was reelected to a second term. This milestone offered a rare opportunity: a chance to deepen reconciliation, strengthen institutions, and unite a fractured nation. Instead of being humbled by the public’s renewed trust, President Hassan Sheikh Mohammed (HSM) grew increasingly arrogant, presiding over an administration defined by personal ambition rather than national purpose.
His leadership is built on a fatal miscalculation: the belief that personal loyalty is the foundation of effective governance. In reality, the president demands not loyalty to the nation, but personal fealty, a medieval concept of total submission. This preference for sycophancy over competence is not a mere oversight; it is a deliberate strategy that has crippled the state and betrayed the public’s trust.
A Promise Unfulfilled
In his first year back in office, President HSM pledged to combat al-Shabaab and uproot corruption. He promised to liberate regions still under the control of terrorist and to reinforce the state’s authority. These commitments earned him significant support, both domestically and internationally. Many hoped he would use this political capital to strengthen governance and enact legitimate electoral reforms.
Instead, his administration failed to deliver. As the saying goes, corruption is the detour of missed objectives. Rather than advancing a national agenda, the president turned to self-enrichment, selling public lands, abusing state resources, and focusing on personal gain. It is a tragic irony that a leader who vowed to fight corruption is now poised to leave office as one of the wealthiest individuals in Somalia.
The Weaponization of Incompetence
True leadership understands that in a nation like Somalia, building a state is a collective endeavor. The challenges we face, from security and unemployment to navigating a complex geopolitical landscape, require a team of experts, not a court of loyalists.
President HSM’s model is the antithesis of this. Governance has been replaced by domination. Appointments are made based on a trifecta of clan affiliation, personal loyalty, and a more sinister criterion: deliberate incompetence.
Incapable officials are not appointed in spite of their failings, but because of them. A minister who cannot design or implement policy is a minister who must seek approval for every decision. A director who lacks expertise is a director who poses no threat. This creates a system where all power flows to one office, and every state function is subject to personal whim, not professional planning. This is the calculated "weaponisation of incompetence."
This weaponised incompetence has allowed the President to concentrate power, blur constitutional separations, and turn state agencies into tools for suppressing dissent. His open disdain for Parliament, the people’s representatives, exposes his contempt for accountability.
The Cost: A Nation Held Hostage
The price of this system is paid by every Somali citizen. It manifests in:
Broken Promises: The fight against al-Shabaab has stalled. The war on corruption was a lie, t has only gotten worse.
Economic Stagnation: A government that cannot formulate or execute policy cannot create jobs or manage an economy.
Shattered Trust: The blatant nepotism and corruption have eviscerated public faith, creating a climate of cynicism and despair.
Chronic Instability: Even without overt violence, the constant atmosphere of unpredictability has left citizens in a state of insecurity and fear.
A Shared Hope for Somalia's Future**
We recognize the deep challenges our nation faces. Yet, we humbly believe that the current situation does not define our future. Together, we can choose a new path, one built not on power, but on service; not on discord, but on our shared identity as Somalis.
It is our sincere commitment to work towards a government that is:
Capable: Guided by skilled and experienced professionals who are chosen for their merit and dedication.
Accountable: Answerable to every Somali citizen and firmly guided by the rule of law.
Transparent: Clear in its actions and honest in its decisions, so that the people may always see its work.
Inclusive: A government that truly represents and brings together all Somalis, leaving no one behind.
We dream of a Somalia where our national institutions stand stronger than any single person, and where those in leadership see their role as a duty to serve the people.
The Somali people have endured enough empty words. You deserve leaders who know that real strength is found in earning the public's trust, not in demanding loyalty. The future of our beloved country depends on this sacred trust. You deserve a government that acts with integrity, competence, and a clear vision for the common good.
We can only offer our humble dedication to these principles, our consistent record of standing for truth, and our clear direction. If you place your trust in us, we will strive every day to repay it with a government that serves you, empowers your communities, and honors your dignity.
This is not our vision alone; it is a promise we can only fulfill together. With unity and faith, we can restore the hope and promise of Somalia.
Hassan’s incompetence and Somalia’s slide into authoritarianism can be stopped through many means, but the first step is to raise awareness and educate the public. We must build a well-organized and principled opposition — one that is not united merely by the pursuit of power, but by a shared commitment to protect Somalia’s fragile democracy and the hard-won progress of its government. It is also crucial to reach out to those within the government who still have a conscience and a sense of duty to the nation.
A powerful and necessary critique. You’ve captured what many Somalis feel but struggle to articulate—the tragic irony of a president entrusted with rare political capital, only to squander it on personal ambition. The “weaponisation of incompetence” is not just a vivid phrase, it’s a lived reality: ministries hollowed out, Parliament sidelined, and citizens paying the cost of stalled security, broken promises, and deepening distrust.
Leadership should be about collective progress, not personal enrichment. Somalia deserves a system that values merit, transparency, and service to the people—not one that rewards sycophancy and deliberate failure. Until that changes, the nation remains hostage to the very hands that were supposed to guide it toward reconciliation and renewal.