PODCAST

Somali Waa kuma Podcast

Somalia - the good, the bad, and the unsure. somalia.substack.com

society & culture documentary

All Episodes

5:07

Is parliament slowing down Somalia’s political and...

Somali Waa kuma Podcast ·

2026/02/08

For the past month, this series has interrogated mobile money (MM), dollarization, inflation, and their consequences for everyday survival in Somalia. We have seen how, in a context of prolonged institutional fragility, financial systems have nonetheless evolved into remarkably efficient, trusted, and widely accessible infrastructures. Mobile transfers work. Remittances arrive. Prices, however painful, are visible and predictable. In economic life, there is order.In the fourth week of MI’s 5 Minutes

5:16

Davos After Davos....influence to insularity

Somali Waa kuma Podcast ·

2026/01/31

Welcome to MI’s 5 Minutes of Fame - Week 3 (2026). This week’s episode was drafted in the Middle East, but published from Indonesia, purely because travel commitments have had me moving across time zones and working in transit. In between airport gates and shifting schedules, I also found myself half-distracted by the global noise of the Davos discussions. A quick apology in advance for the quality of the video. It was recorded during a beautiful night walk along the Arabian Gulf, but the wind had

5:46

Somalia’s Remittance Paradox - Challenges ahead.

Somali Waa kuma Podcast ·

2026/01/22

The recent delay of MI's "5 minutes of fame" post (available also in Somali language) highlights the complex and evolving landscape amidst unfolding global geopolitical uncertainties. As these challenges continue to reshape global financial ecosystems, there remains a compelling opportunity to identify innovative solutions that address the operational, regulatory, and technological obstacles Somalis in Somalia and in the diaspora will face. Despite the ongoing challenges, including the reluctance of

5:23

Somalia at the Fault Line of.....

Somali Waa kuma Podcast ·

2026/01/11

Reading the Charts Without AnaesthesiaIf 2025 was about diagnosing the patient, 2026 is about reading the charts without anaesthesia. This first MI’s 5 Minutes of Fame post of the year opens with a simple premise: Somalia and the wider Horn of Africa no longer suffer from a lack of attention, but from an excess of noise and a shortage of disciplined analysis. My aim over the next few weeks is to reduce the noise, sharpen the questions, and insist that evidence, not optimism or outrage, does the

6:01

Somalia’s election was more than a political event

Somali Waa kuma Podcast ·

2025/12/26

In light of the extraordinary and long-awaited historical moment that unfolded in Mogadishu, I have decided to postpone MI’s 5 Minutes for Week 52 by a few days. As promised, the looking back, looking forward reflection - together with a short year-end note - will be shared before the close of the year. For now, however, it feels both fitting and necessary to pause, collectively, and allow ourselves as Somalis to acknowledge and celebrate this landmark event. What follows below is a brief account of

6:30

Resolving Somalia's electoral confusion

Somali Waa kuma Podcast ·

2025/12/21

Week 51 of MI’s 5 Minutes of Fame opens with a note of commendation, before getting into the complex terrain of Somali politics and elections. It is important to acknowledge the exemplary work of Somalia’s Ambassador to China in advancing diplomatic engagement and deepening economic cooperation between Mogadishu and Beijing. Through sustained dialogue, institutional outreach, and strategic visibility, the Embassy has contributed meaningfully to repositioning Somalia as a credible partner within

7:53

Rule of law or rule of the rumor in Somalia

Somali Waa kuma Podcast ·

2025/12/12

Doha Forum 2025 convened on 6–7 December under the theme “Justice in Action: Beyond Promises to Progress,” foregrounding justice, accountability, and the rule of law as antidotes to a world sliding into moral and geopolitical disorder. In that same spirit, MI’s 5 Minutes of Fame this week returns to a discipline we repeatedly abandon the moment emotions rise: to get the facts before we react. The reason is stark, … a contemporary illustration of “justice beyond promises”. This is how rule-of-law

5:07

Why half the country is on mute....

Somali Waa kuma Podcast ·

2025/12/07

Before this week’s main discussion, I pause to reflect on the recent dispute between the U.S. presidency and Somalia, whose tone and near-emptiness reveal far more about the deterioration of leadership in Washington than about Somalia itself, especially when contrasted with the more measured conduct of previous presidents (see clip below). My reflections are written for local Somali consumption and are not linked to, endorsing or amplifying Trump’s unpresidential remarks in any way.; rather, they

5:47

From African coups to Japanese consensus

Somali Waa kuma Podcast ·

2025/10/25

Week 42 of MI’s 5 minutes of fame spans continents, from the turquoise waters of the Indian Ocean, the heart of Africa to the political corridors of Tokyo, capital of the rising sun of Japan. Two worlds bound by ambition and transformation. After an eventful trip across Africa, my planned hop from Mauritius to Madagascar was abruptly derailed by the unfolding coup in Antananarivo, a reminder of how fragile democracy remains in many parts of our world. Stranded in the serenity of Port Louis, I took

5:02

Ideas on the move to turn encounters into action in...

Somali Waa kuma Podcast ·

2025/10/08

MI’s 5 Minutes of Fame – Week 39This week’s reflections come from the road. What began as a brief three-day visit to Mogadishu organically extended into eight days—a testament to the depth and vibrancy of my interactions with colleagues and friends across the education and technology sectors. The conversations were rich, forward-looking, and grounded in a shared vision for innovation and impact.From Mogadishu, my journey continued to Mauritius, where I engaged with AfriNIC staff and participated in

5:13

Somalia -A nation walking into bright future with its...

Somali Waa kuma Podcast ·

2025/09/25

Apologies for the delay in delivering MI’s 5 minutes of fame this week. Yes I know I know this edition is late, brilliance always insists on being slow-cooked rather than microwaved and takes a little longer to marinate. Think of it less as being late, and more as being fashionably intellectual. Unequal Development and Other Geological InconveniencesWhen the anthropologists tell us that “man first stood up in the Rift Valley,” they conveniently leave out the sequel. Yes, Homo erectus stood tall

5:18

Is Somalia ready for E-Visa?

Somali Waa kuma Podcast ·

2025/09/07

This is MI’s 5 Minutes of Fame for Week 36 of 2025, written from Perth, Australia. Somalia’s launch of a fully digital e-Visa system is undeniably good news, signaling progress in governance and mobility. Yet, as aggregated by my AI-enabled analytic tools from the online Somali discourse, the questions are less about the technology itself and more about institutional credibility. Can this reform be sustained beyond short-term visibility? Will regulation keep pace with the promises of digital

5:24

Somalia Between Two Summits: Why Yinchuan and...

Somali Waa kuma Podcast ·

2025/09/01

I find myself “back home” (a contested concept for many of us), in Perth, to be precise where the African Australian Universities Network (AAUN) is convening on 1–2 September, followed immediately by the 23rd edition of Africa Down Under (ADU) from 3–5 September 2025 at the Pan Pacific. But before plunging into the week’s reflections on these forums, I want to share a small story from my August travels in Japan, hinted at in the header clip.As some of you know, I have an incurable fascination with

5:19

Japan–Somalia Collaboration in a Changing Global Order

Somali Waa kuma Podcast ·

2025/08/27

A quick note before I begin: I realise the video I shared earlier raised several themes I haven’t yet addressed here. My time in Japan was shaped so strongly by the TICAD9 summit that it dominated both my schedule and reflections. This post aka my weekly five minutes of fame focuses on Somalia’s conspicuous absence at TICAD9. The other issues mentioned in the video will be explored fully in my next post.The Japan–Somalia collaboration attracted my attention 15 years ago, particularly within the

5:31

The Governance Gap in Somalia’s Financial Sector

Somali Waa kuma Podcast ·

2025/08/14

MI’s 5 Minutes of Fame – Week 32, 2025This week’s reflection coincides with two anniversaries that speak volumes about national trajectories and the politics of resilience. Singapore marks its 60th year of independence a city-state that, in the same timeframe, transformed from a struggling postcolonial port to a global financial hub. Its governance, regulatory discipline, and economic pragmatism stand in stark contrast to Somalia’s six decades of state fragility, contested legitimacy, and missed

5:22

Stranded and stateless! Somalis Suffering at Foreign...

Somali Waa kuma Podcast ·

2025/07/28

Much has transpired since I began drafting this brief “five minutes of fame” reflection. In Somalia, piracy has ominously resurfaced, casting a shadow over maritime security in the Horn of Africa. Mogadishu’s political theatre continues with convoys of four-wheel drives paraded by the usual power brokers - symbols of state spectacle rather than substance. Gaza descends further into humanitarian catastrophe, while tensions flare in former French Indochina (France again, see the story about the

6:09

Role of parliament in rebuilding Somalia

Somali Waa kuma Podcast ·

2025/07/14

As I noted in an earlier note last week, this piece offers a reflection on the role and condition of African parliaments, through the lens of my recent visit to both the old and newly built parliaments of Zimbabwe. These contrasting spaces serve not only as architectural landmarks, but as symbols of deeper political transitions, aspirations, and contradictions that echo across the continent. Second part of video clip is in Somali language, and I am assuming you have access to one of those Ai

7:04

Ai assisted message from Italy to my Somali Wantoks

Somali Waa kuma Podcast ·

2025/06/12

I’m currently at Gorky Park in Milan, making my way on foot toward Milano Centrale, a 10-kilometer morning walk that’s become part of my routine. As I walk through this beautiful urban park, I’ve taken a moment to reflect and record another short video, sharing some of my observations about Italy, particularly through the lens of the country’s 79th Republic Anniversary and recent referendum election.As I mentioned in my previous clip, I’ll process this video using a cloud-based AI tool that will

5:00

Trapped in endless conflict.... is Somalia facing...

Somali Waa kuma Podcast ·

2025/05/29

MI’s "five minutes of fame" comes to you from Colombo, Sri Lanka… a very hot and humid day, but am in my elements and enjoying it. This is a nation that once bore the scars of a protracted civil war, yet has since transitioned into a relatively stable democracy with functioning institutions and tangible socio-economic development. From this vantage point, I find myself reflecting on two troubling issues recently encountered in Somalia—problems that reflect deeper systemic fractures and enduring

5:07

Starlink - delinking not empowering Somalis.

Somali Waa kuma Podcast ·

2025/05/05

This week my Five Minutes of Fame segment I will revisit an issue that I have briefly addressed last week, see here. As anticipated, the topic generated considerable discussion within the Somali tech community, both abroad and in Somalia—precisely the kind of engagement I had hoped for, see Starlink Vs Somali Internet Companies below. I extend my sincerest apologies to my dear friends whose command of the Somali language is - how shall we say - still under construction. For those valiantly

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