ABSTRACT This study investigated governance and conflict management in Baidoa, Somalia. The following objectives guided the study: i) to find out the extent of governance in Baidoa, Somalia; ii) to determine the extent of conflict management in Baidoa, Somalia; and iii) to establish the relationship between governance and conflict management in Baidoa, Somalia. The study employed descriptive correlational design. Data was collected using questionnaires. Pearson correlation (r) was used to establish the relationship between governance and conflict management in Baidoa, Somalia. The extent of governance was fair (average mean=2.85) and the level of conflict management was also fair (average mean~=2.45). However there was a strong significant correlation between the mode of governance and the level of conflict management in Baidoa, Somalia (r=.584~, p< ~O1). This association between the two variables affected development greatly in Somali. Poor mode of governance led to escalation of conflicts which resulted in to low development. This was indicated by the low level of educated people due to insecurity, lack of well stocked hospital facilities, and majority of the people are poor and displaced. The study concluded that there was no transparency of government policymaking since public officials were not accountable and human rights was not exercised given the fact that government effectiveness was still questionable in Baidoa. Collaboration and competition on the other hand were the most commonly used conflict management styles in Baidoa, whereas avoidance and accommodation styles were greatly marginalized. The study recommended that there was need to establish stringent measures such as public accounts committee that would probe and investigate public officials who do not account for public resources. There was also need to research on the best conflict management styles appropriate for the people of Baidoa, Somali.
