LocationsDevelopment partners witness the impact of local solutions in Kismayo
September 22, 2026
In a drainage channel that once flooded homes each rainy season, in a courtroom now sharing caseloads with community elders, and in the voices of residents describing safer streets — partners funding some of the flagship joint UN programmes got a firsthand look this week at what locally led development actually delivers.
Development partners from Norway, the European Union, the Netherlands, Switzerland and Sweden, together with UNDP Resident Representative Christophoros Politis and the Somali Joint Fund, visited Kismayo on Tuesday, 15th to see how locally led investments are improving services, strengthening access to justice, and supporting peace and reconciliation in Jubaland State of Somalia.
The delegation visited four initiatives supported through Somali Joint Fund-supported programmes, meeting local authorities, community members, traditional elders, justice actors and beneficiaries to hear directly about the changes taking place in their communities.
The visit highlighted a common message: when communities and local authorities are part of the solution, development can deliver results that respond to people’s real needs.
The delegation began its visit at a newly completed water drainage project supported through DowladKaab and the Local Development Fund (LDF).
The project was developed with contributions from local communities and authorities and was formally handed over to the local government.
The improved drainage system is expected to help address water-related challenges and create a safer and more resilient environment for people living in Kismayo.
For Christian Gahre, Deputy Head of Delegation at the Norwegian Embassy in Nairobi, one of the most striking aspects of the project was the contribution made by local communities.
“What I am most impressed with is that a big portion of the contribution that made this possible came from the
local communities through the local government and the people benefiting from this service,” said Christian Gahre.
The project demonstrated how development financing can be combined with local resources and ownership to deliver practical solutions to community needs.
The delegation then visited Ganane School, which was rehabilitated through the DowladKaab Service Delivery Model.
The school provides a better learning environment for more than 1,500 students, demonstrating how investments in local infrastructure can improve access to essential services.
For UNDP Somalia Resident Representative Christophoros Politis, the visit highlighted what locally led development can deliver.
“A grassroots and bottom-up approach to development is very much needed today,” said Mr Christophoros. “In Kismayo, we have seen how local leaders, women and communities can help drive development, strengthen local governance and build peace. By working together with government, civil society and the private sector, we can deliver solutions that respond to the needs of the people of Somalia."
The delegation also met traditional elders involved in reconciliation and conflict resolution in Jubaland.
Sitting together under a tree at an IDP camp, the elders explained how traditional reconciliation mechanisms are used alongside government-led processes to resolve clan-related conflicts and restore relationships between communities.
Traditional elder Ugaas Ibrahim shared the experience of a conflict in Luuq district, Gedo region, between the Macalinweyne and Reer Hassan communities over resource and power sharing. He explained that the conflict had resulted in significant loss of life, displacement and destruction of property.
With support through the State-building and Reconciliation Support Programme (SRSP) and the Jubbaland Ministry of Interior, elders brought the parties together in Kismayo for reconciliation discussions. An initial agreement was reached, and the situation has since remained calm.
With support from SRSP, 15 inter- and intra-clan conflicts have been resolved across Somalia, helping make communities safer and benefiting more than 2 million people.
The delegation also highlighted the value of bringing together traditional authorities, government institutions, women and youth to find locally owned solutions.
“What we have also seen is that the UN is working hand in hand with the local government and traditional authorities, but also mobilising resources from the community, women and youth to solve conflicts through a mix of formal, traditional and restorative processes.”
At an Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) centre, the delegation met ADR meditaors and community members supported through the Joint Justice and Corrections Programme (JJCP).
The visitors learned how ADR centres help communities resolve disputes peacefully and how cases that require formal judicial intervention are referred to the courts.
Omar Hiirey, Spokesman of Jubbaland traditional elder and a members of ADR, explained that the centres deal with a wide range of community disputes, particularly cases involving families, women and vulnerable groups.
“We play a very important role in resolving disputes within the community. Many of the cases we handle involve domestic and family issues, particularly those affecting women, vulnerable groups and IDPs. More serious cases, including deliberate killings and rape, are referred to the formal courts,” said Hiirey.
In 2025, JJCP trained more than 2,000 mediators who work at the ADR Centers spread across the country, which handled more than 5,300 cases — expanding access to community-based justice.
The visit showed how formal justice institutions can work alongside community-based mechanisms to help people resolve disputes in ways that are accessible, peaceful and trusted.
The visit concluded with a meeting with Mohamed Ibrahim Ogle, Minister of Interior, Federal Affairs and Reconciliation of Jubaland, who highlighted both the development challenges facing the state and the importance of continued support from development partners.
The Minister also stressed the importance of local contributions and ownership, pointing to the water drainage project as an example of how local authorities and communities can contribute alongside external partners.
“As local authorities, we also contribute funds at the community and government levels. We contributed to the water drainage project you saw this morning. As global funding shrinks, our approach is to contribute whatever we can and make the best use of whatever support we receive from donors,” said Minister Mohamed Ogle.
The Kismayo visit highlighted the value of partnerships that combine international support with local leadership and community contributions.
From drainage systems and schools to reconciliation and access to justice, the projects showed how locally driven solutions can turn development investments into practical improvements in people’s everyday lives.
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About the Joint UN Initiatives
The mission highlighted three joint UN initiatives supporting Somalia’s peacebuilding, justice and local governance efforts:
Statebuilding and Reconciliation Support Programme (SRSP) is a joint initiative of UNDP and the United Nations Transitional Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNTMIS), funded by Norway and Switzerland. The programme supports statebuilding, reconciliation and conflict prevention efforts, helping communities and institutions address conflicts and strengthen social cohesion.
Joint Justice and Corrections Programme (JJCP) 2023–2027 is a joint initiative of UNDP, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and UNTMIS, implemented in partnership with the Federal Government of Somalia and Federal Member States. Primarily financed by the European Union and the Kingdom of the Netherlands through the Somalia Joint Fund (SJF), the programme supports access to justice, strengthens justice and corrections institutions, and promotes safer and more inclusive communities.
Dowladkaab Programme is a Joint Programme on Strengthening Local Governance and Decentralized Service Delivery, is funded by Norway, Switzerland and the Netherlands through the Somalia Joint Fund (SJF) and implemented by UNDP, UN-Habitat and UNICEF in partnership with sector ministries at the federal and state levels, under the leadership of the Ministry of Interior, Federal Affairs and Reconciliation (MoIFAR). The programme strengthens local governance institutions and supports the delivery of essential services closer to communities, helping to build more accountable, inclusive and responsive local governments.
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