Electronic participation, digital literacy and public trust in local government in the fragile context of Mogadishu, Somalia

This study investigates the association between e-participation dimensions (e-information, e-consultation, and e-decision-making) and public trust in local government in a fragile, post-conflict context. Furthermore, it explores the moderating role of citizens’ digital literacy in transforming citizen-state relationships. Data were collected from 301 residents of the Mogadishu municipality in Somalia using a cross-sectional survey. The proposed conceptual model was empirically tested and validated using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). The results reveal that e-information, e-consultation, and e-decision-making have positive and statistically significant direct associations with public trust. However, contrary to expectations, digital literacy did not significantly moderate these relationships. Within this predominantly digitally literate and educated sample, the trust-building benefits of e-participation remained consistent regardless of digital proficiency levels, although this lack of moderation should be interpreted with caution, given the sample’s high digital proficiency. This study provides novel empirical insights by extending the e-participation and public trust literature to an understudied post-war African urban governance setting. This highlights the positive statistical association of digital governance as a viable mechanism for fostering institutional trust in fragile states. By demonstrating how digital platforms are positively associated with municipal trust, this study highlights the capacity of e-participation to advance Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 16 by fostering inclusive, transparent, and participatory local governance in post-conflict settings. Specifically, by empirically demonstrating that e-participation dimensions positively associated with municipal trust, this study advances the literature on social sustainability and the localization of SDG Target 16.7. The findings show how inclusive, low-barrier digital platforms transform marginalized urban residents into active stakeholders, establishing that citizen-centric digital governance is a vital mechanism for fostering institutional resilience and social cohesion under SDG 11.