Corruption impedes good governance in Somalia’s public sector

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to understand the level of corruption in Somalia and the causes that lead to corruption that in turn hampers good governance. Design/methodology/approach The paper relies on the data collected from Somali’s public institutions, international actors, newspaper articles and peer-reviewed literature. The degree of corruption is assessed with the Corruption Perceptions Index by Transparency International and the Control of Corruption provided by the World Bank. Findings The finding shows that the level of corruption in Somalia is high and complex because of the following reasons: weak governance and poverty, culture and tradition which include favoritism based on clan membership, lack of accountability mechanism and absence political will. Measures undertaken for anti-corruption, for instance, the establishment of the National Anti-Corruption Commission and legislation for its support face barriers and challenges that include political influence, lack of capacities among the undertaking institution and lack of participation by the public. Originality/value This research adds value to the knowledge of corruption in Somalia by identifying the concrete socio-political antecedents for corruption and the problems of fighting it. This paper further presents the following detailed strategies to address corruption: enhancing the operational and financial integrity of the Independent Anti-Corruption Commission; restructuring the civil service and merging it into a merit-based system; enhancing Public Financial Management (PFM) reforms; independence of the judiciary; and sustaining development in digital technology adoption in governance and procurement.