Prime Minister Hamza Appoints New Directors General for Energy and Telecommunications Ministries

MOGADISHU — Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre has appointed new Directors General for two federal ministries, citing the need to accelerate ongoing government operations and improve institutional performance.

The appointments were made under Article 119(D) of the Provisional Constitution of the Federal Republic of Somalia, according to a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office.

The two officials appointed are:

• Abdullahi Ibrahim Abdi — Director General of the Ministry of Energy and Water Resources
• Ahmed Yusuf Abdullahi — Director General of the Ministry of Communications and Technology

Prime Minister Hamza urged the newly appointed officials to carry out their duties efficiently and to accelerate the implementation of their ministries’ assigned responsibilities.

A Pattern of Administrative Reshuffles

These appointments follow a series of changes to senior civil service positions in recent months. In August 2026, the Prime Minister appointed three new Directors General for the Ministries of Ports and Maritime Transport, Energy and Water Resources, and Labour and Social Affairs, as part of a broader effort to strengthen administrative capacity across federal institutions.

The Ministry of Energy and Water Resources has been led by Minister Abdullahi Bidhaan Warsame, who has overseen significant initiatives including the electrification of 150 health facilities across the country. The ministry has also been active in reviewing water and solar projects, as detailed in FTL Somalia’s coverage of the ministry’s project reviews.

The Ministry of Communications and Technology has been led by Minister Mohamed Adam Maalim (Soomaali), who has represented Somalia at international forums including the International Dialogue on Artificial Intelligence (AI) Governance in Geneva. The ministry has also pursued digital transformation initiatives, with the Minister advocating for tech innovation at the African Startup Summit in Algiers.

In September 2026, the Prime Minister issued a directive requiring all government ministries and agencies to implement merit-based recruitment and appointments, with the Civil Service Commission tasked with overseeing a competitive process for director-level positions starting September 20, as detailed in FTL Somalia’s coverage of the civil service reforms. That directive cited Article 161(1) of the Constitution and the Civil Service Law as its legal basis. Deputy Prime Minister Salah Jama has described the Civil Service Commission as the backbone of government reform.

Critical Note

The appointment of new Directors General for the Ministries of Energy and Communications reflects the government’s stated priority of improving administrative efficiency and accelerating the delivery of government programmes. Both ministries oversee sectors that are critical to Somalia’s development agenda: energy and water infrastructure, and telecommunications and technology.

However, the recurrence of these reshuffles raises questions about the stability of senior leadership within federal ministries. The Prime Minister has now appointed new Directors General for the Energy ministry twice in less than two months. Frequent turnover at the director-general level can disrupt institutional continuity and undermine the implementation of long-term programmes, even when the stated intention is to accelerate progress.

The broader context is also relevant. The Prime Minister issued a directive in September requiring all director-level positions to be filled through open competition, yet the appointments announced this week appear to have been made directly by the Prime Minister’s Office. The Civil Service Commission was tasked with overseeing the competitive process for director positions, including assessing candidates on competence, knowledge, experience, leadership and performance. Whether these latest appointments were made through that competitive process or through direct appointment is not clear from the public statement.