Effects of Federal Governance on Political Stability of Somalia

Abstract

Although different researchers and authors focused on the federalism as a topic their findings have been primarily interested in whether the adoption of federalism is viable to Somali society and the understanding of the population toward the phenomenon. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of federal governance on political stability in an enlightening way in order to gain the public perspectives on the issue as it is yet a newly practiced phenomenon. The specific objectives were to investigate Clan based Federalism and political stability, to determine the effect of applying federal system of governance on political stability; and finally, to analyze the challenges and opportunities of federal system of governance and political stability. Using non-mathematical sampling techniques the researcher selected a sample of 61 respondents to determine the effects of federal governance on political stability in Somalia. The researcher used SPSS to analyze data and interpret in to frequencies, percentages and tables. The study concluded that the constitution has been approved in 2012 and envisages the implementation of a federalist structure for the new Somali state, a solution that is facing a number of issues in the prickly Somali political environment and can help Somalia society tie together. Recommendations were derived as such In order for Somalis to reconcile their differences and build more legitimate, accountable and efficient states and governance, an inclusive bottom-up locally owned national peace building should be held inside the country to hammer out a comprehensive peace deal acceptable to all parties. Home-based conflict management mechanisms should be prioritized.