PM Khaire names 68 member cabinet, 42 MPs join the executive as 8 women take up posts

PM Hassan Khaire at Villa Somalia during the unveiling of his new cabinet. The PM announced a 68 member cabinet among them one deputy premier. Photo: Villa Somalia

Prime Minister Hassan Khaire has unveiled a 68 member cabinet handing only eight slots to women and pairing 15 ministries with state ministers.

Out of the 68, the PM named 26 ministers with an equal number of deputies and 15 state ministers.

The PM raided parliament drawing more than 60% of his cabinet from the August House leaving the remaining slots for technocrats and former ministers. Twenty five ministers and assistants are from outside parliament while the remaining 42 are serving lawmakers.

Khaire named lawyer Mahdi Ahmed Guled from Somaliland his deputy.

At least seven former ministers made a comeback among them former President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s fierce critic Abdi Hosh Jibril (Constitutional Affairs), Abdirahman Beyle (Finance) Abdirahman Omar Osman (Information), Khadija Mohamed Diriye (Sports) and Prof. Salim Haliyo Ibro (Electricity and Energy).

President Mohamed Farmaajo’s ally and former Tayo Party secretary general Dr. Maryam Qasim also made a comeback taking the Humanitarian Affairs docket.

The new line up is made up of seven female ministers; five ministers and two deputies. This represents 12% of the new cabinet, a distant mark from 30% fronted by affirmative action campaigners.

Somalia’s ambassador to Kenya Jamal Hassan was appointed Planning, Investment and Economic Development Minister in a restructuring which saw a swopping of roles between the Planning and Foreign Affairs ministries.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs now headed by journalist and Somalia’s ambassador to the UN Yusuf Garad has been renamed Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation. Initially, this docket under the immediate former minister Abdulsalam Omer was named Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Investment Promotion.

That of the Planning headed by immediate former minister Abdirahman Aynte went under the title, Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation.

The new line up made public Tuesday a day after Villa Somalia cancelled the announcement also contains 15 state ministers.

The Prime Minister will now proceed to parliament to seek approval for his new cabinet before work starts.

President Mohamed Farmaajo hailed the line-up.