Moored current measurements in the Somali Current on the equator of approximately 1-year duration reveal a seasonal cycle of the vertical current structure which is substantially different during part of the year from that previously percieved from measurements in the boundary current away from the equator. In particular, during the winter monsoon the southwestward flow at the surface reaches down only to little more than 100 m, while a northward countercurrent exists below down to 400 m. Observed current structure is quite well reproduced by a numerical model with high vertical and reasonable horizontal resolutions. Overall conclusions are that the equatorial and off-equatorial circulation of the Somali Current are separate systems during most of the year and that remote forcing from the east along the equator appears to be a minor effect in the seasonal variability of near-surface flow in the equatorial Somali Current.