Somali President signs revised constitution into law
Under the revised provisions, the mandate of federal institutions including parliament and the presidency is extended to five years.
Mogadishu (Somali Report) - Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud on Sunday signed the country’s revised federal constitution into law, completing a contentious review process that replaces the 2012 provisional charter and sets five-year terms for federal institutions.
The signing ceremony, held at the Presidential Palace in Mogadishu, followed the constitution’s approval last week by both chambers of the Federal Parliament in a joint session.
“Today marks the conclusion of the long journey of reviewing Somalia’s Federal Constitution, which had been provisional for some time and recently ratified by the Federal Parliament,” President Mohamud said at the ceremony. “With God’s guidance, its implementation begins today.”
Under the revised provisions, the mandate of federal institutions including parliament and the presidency is extended to five years.
The previous provisional constitution, adopted in 2012 at the end of Somalia’s transitional period, limited institutional terms to four years.
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Speaker of the House of the People Sheikh Aadan Mohamed Nur, known as Madoobe, and Upper House Speaker Abdi Hashi Abdullahi attended the ceremony, alongside the chairpersons of the constitutional review committees.
Following the parliamentary vote, Madoobe announced that federal institutions would henceforth operate under the five-year framework set out in the new constitution, effectively adding one year to the current term.
Government officials have described the revised constitution as a milestone in Somalia’s state-building process, arguing that it clarifies the division of powers, strengthens institutions and completes a long-delayed constitutional review covering all 13 chapters.
The move, however, has triggered sharp political criticism.
Opposition figures accuse the federal government of using constitutional amendments to prolong its tenure and alter the political timetable without broad national consensus. Lawmakers aligned with the Somali Future Council, an opposition coalition that includes leaders from Puntland and Jubbaland, largely boycotted the parliamentary vote.
The constitutional overhaul comes at a sensitive political moment, with debates continuing over the electoral model and the future shape of Somalia’s federal system.
About the Author
Osman Hassan is a Senior Editor at the Somali Report based in Nairobi with over 15 years of experience in journalism. He has worked with local and international media outlets in Somalia and is an award-winning journalist. His reporting focuses on politics, security, and regional affairs in the Horn of Africa.