In brief
- Somaliland Chronicle reported on 17 October 2025 that Hargeisa's mayor elected in May 2021 oversaw 104 km of new or rehabilitated roads in four and a half years.
- The same review puts Hargeisa's network at 118 roads totalling 253 km, with only a fraction meeting basic engineering standards, and cites figures from Eng. Mouktar Ali (2025).
- The review is commentary and analysis, not an audit, so it records reported delivery and design concerns rather than verified completion, cost or condition.
Contents
Somaliland Chronicle reported on 17 October 2025 that the mayor of Hargeisa elected in May 2021, Cabdikariin Axmed Mooge, oversaw 104 km of new or rehabilitated roads within four and a half years, on a network the review describes as 118 roads totalling 253 km. The review covers the city's road, drainage, health, education and power infrastructure.
What the source records
The review states that Hargeisa has a road network of 118 roads totalling 253 km, combining paved and unpaved surfaces, citing Eng. Mouktar Ali (2025). It records the 104 km delivered in four and a half years as roughly 26 km a year, or three kilometres per district each year across the city's nine districts. It adds that only a fraction of the 253 km meet basic engineering standards. The full review is at Somaliland Chronicle.
What it means on site
The review links early deterioration to construction method: many paved roads lack proper base and sub-base layers, and it states that premature failures appear within 2 to 3 years against an expected 15 to 20 year life for well-engineered roads. It also notes limited feasibility studies and geotechnical investigation behind the works. For a client or engineer, the checkable items are the layer works and the drainage: ask for the specified base and sub-base thicknesses, the compaction records and the storm water path before accepting a road as finished.
What the source does not establish
The review is commentary and analysis, not an audit, and its figures carry an as-of date of 17 October 2025. It does not set out which of the 104 km were new build and which were rehabilitation, who built them, the contracted lengths, or the acceptance records. It does not establish the condition of any named road today. Confirmation would come from the municipality's road register, tender awards and completion certificates, and from laboratory compaction and layer test results.
What to do next
Ask the Hargeisa municipal engineer's office or the roads department for the road register: the list of roads built or rehabilitated since 2021 with their lengths, contract numbers and completion dates. Where a specific road matters, request the layer work drawings, drainage design and test records before signing off.
Frequently asked questions
How many kilometres of roads did Hargeisa add, according to the review?
Somaliland Chronicle's 17 October 2025 review states that the mayor elected in May 2021 oversaw 104 km of new or rehabilitated roads within four and a half years, on a network of 118 roads totalling 253 km.
What road length does the source attribute to each district?
The review states the 104 km works out at about 26 km a year, or three kilometres per district each year across nine districts. It does not break the figure down road by road.
Does the review say the roads meet engineering standards?
It states that only a fraction of the 253 km meet basic engineering standards, and links many failures to missing base and sub-base layers and limited geotechnical investigation. It is an analysis piece, not an audit.
Sources
Local reporting: this article is written for building work in Hargeisa and Somaliland. Ground conditions, prices and rules differ between places; confirm the details for your own site.