24 May, 2025
The sheer scale of tackling corruption in Somalia can often feel insurmountable. Decades of institutional fragility have allowed corrupt practices to become deeply entrenched, weaving through everything from small-scale bribery networks (laaluush) at local checkpoints and public offices to large-scale financial misappropriation involving senior officials. When a problem is this widespread and subtle, the strategies needed to fight it can seem endless, and the path forward unclear.
However, systemic corruption is not unique to Somalia, nor is it impossible to defeat. Professor Christopher Stone, an expert from the Blavatnik School of Government at Oxford University, has distilled forty years of global anti-corruption insights into core, fundamental principles. By adapting these global lessons from his address at the 2024 International Anti-Corruption Conference to the specific realities of the Somali context, we can chart a realistic and powerful roadmap for institutional transformation.
Here are three vital lessons for transforming a culture of corruption in Somalia.
1. Target the Ringleaders, Not Everyone (The 15-70-15 Rule)
Attempting to purge or reform an entire Somali public institution all at once is a herculean task. When corruption is systemic, demanding a blanket overhaul often triggers fierce resistance, unifies the corrupt actors against reform, and paralyzes essential government services. Instead, leaders must focus sharply on the primary drivers of corruption.
Professor Stone highlights the 15-70-15 rule, a concept popularized by New Orleans police reformer Richard Pennington. The rule suggests that in a corrupt environment, roughly 15% of the individuals actively drive the corruption, 15% strictly refuse to participate, and the remaining 70% are complicit—often simply because they feel they must conform to survive.
In the Somali context, this means anti-corruption bodies and reform-minded leaders should not spend limited resources prosecuting every low-level clerk who accepts a small bribe to expedite paperwork. Instead, the focus must shift to the 15% at the top—the institutional ringleaders, directors, and cartel bosses who orchestrate embezzlement networks or abuse procurement processes.
By strategically investigating, dismissing, and prosecuting these key figures, the backbone of the corrupt network is broken. Concurrently, by protecting and elevating the 15% of public servants who have maintained their integrity, leaders can signal a shift in institutional culture. When the vulnerable 70% see that the ringleaders are punished and honest workers are rewarded, the majority will naturally pivot toward accountability and professional standards.
2. Measure Progress, Not Just Punishments
While arresting and prosecuting corrupt individuals is a vital part of justice, it should not be the sole metric of success. If an anti-corruption campaign is measured purely by the number of officials sent to prison, it risks turning into a political witch-hunt that disrupts governance without actually improving the lives of citizens. Effective reform must prioritize how well an organization fulfills its core mission.
Consider how this applies to Somalia’s vital sectors, such as port management or revenue collection. If anti-corruption efforts at the Port of Mogadishu focus exclusively on mass indictments, operations could grind to a halt, severely damaging national trade. Instead, reform should mirror the approach taken by Bolaji Owasanoye in Nigeria. When tackling corruption at the Lagos seaport, his commission focused on streamlining bureaucratic bottlenecks that bred bribery.
For Somalia, the ultimate measure of anti-corruption success should be tangible, institutional progress:
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Has the waiting time for commercial ships at the port decreased?
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Are national revenues increasing because customs processes are automated and efficient?
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Are public funds being successfully translated into built schools, equipped hospitals, and paved roads?
By shifting the focus from purely chasing corrupt individuals to building resilient, functional systems, Somali institutions can deliver on their promises to the public. Punishing the guilty is necessary, but building a working nation is the ultimate goal.
3. Leverage Transparency as a Shield
True institutional change cannot survive in darkness. Many leaders in Somalia are hesitant to open their books or involve external stakeholders, fearing political weaponization or public criticism. However, embracing radical openness is the most powerful weapon against systemic graft.
Transparency shifts the burden of policing corruption from a few overworked government auditors to the entire society. In a transforming Somalia, this can be achieved by embracing digital governance and public oversight. For instance, publishing all government tenders, procurement contracts, and national budget allocations online allows the public, civil society organizations, and independent journalists to act as collective watchdogs.
Furthermore, leveraging transparency means fostering deep collaboration between state institutions and independent anti-corruption bodies, ensuring that reports on the state of corruption are regular, public, and accessible. When the community is involved and informed, trust is rebuilt between the public and the state. If the doors are kept open, corrupt actors lose the shadows they rely on to operate.
Conclusion
The road to a transparent and accountable Somalia is undoubtedly challenging, but the blueprint exists. By focusing efforts on dismantling the networks of key ringleaders rather than fighting the whole system, measuring success through improved public services rather than just prison sentences, and using transparency to invite public oversight, Somalia can successfully dismantle the culture of corruption. These lessons remind us that with strategic willpower and systemic focus, building an accountable society is far from impossible.