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Do we need 999 representatives, 8 presidents, 6 vice presidents, 1 prime minister, 2 deputies and 454 ministers?

Monday October 27, 2025
By Mohamed Mukhtar Ibrahim





The Federal Republic of Somalia has long struggled to establish a unified and accountable system of governance. However, when one closely examines the country’s political structure and the number of positions at both the federal and state levels, an important question arises: Do we truly need so many officials, or has the system become an unsustainable financial and administrative burden on the nation?

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When all tiers of government are combined, Somalia has 8 presidents (including Somaliland), 6 vice presidents, 1 prime minister, and 2 deputy prime ministers. The House of the People (Lower House) — which includes members from the federal government, Somaliland, and the Federal Member States — consists of 863 members. In addition, the Upper House has 136 members (comprising both the Guurti and the Senate). Furthermore, there are 454 members of the Council of Ministers at the federal and state levels — including ministers, deputy ministers, and state ministers.

Lower House

Institution

Number of MPs

Somaliland

82

Northeast

83

Puntland

66

Galmudug

88

Southwest

95

Jubaland

75

Hirshabelle

99

Federal Government

275

Total

863

Upper House (Guurti)

Institution

Number of Senators

Somaliland

82

Federal 

54

Total

136

Council of Ministers

Institution

Minister 

Deputy Minister 

State Minister 

Total

Federal Government

25

25

25

75

Puntland

21

23

14

58

Somaliland

28

17

4

49

Galmudug

25

25

12

62

Jubaland

23

23

5

51

Southwest

26

26

2

54

Hirshabelle

28

28

28

84

Northeastern State

21

—

—

21

Total

197

167

90

454

Leadership 

Institution

President 

Vice President 

Prime Minister 

Deputy
Prime
Minister 

Total

Federaalka

1

—

1

2

4

Somaliland

1

1

—

—

2

Puntland

1

1

—

—

2

Northeastern

1

1

—

—

2

Galmudug

1

1

—

—

2

Hirshabelle

1

1

—

—

2

Southwest

1

—

—

—

1

Jubaland

1

1

—

—

2

Total

8

6

1

2

17

I wrote this piece to let the numbers speak for themselves — they tell a story without needing much explanation. When we look closely at the number of representatives and ministers across different levels of government, it becomes clear that Somalia’s governance structure has grown too large, creating a financial and administrative burden that ordinary citizens can hardly sustain.
Somaliland considers itself separate from the rest of Somalia. Meanwhile, the Federal Government and Federal Member States — excluding Somaliland — are this week reflecting on the Arta Conference of 2000, the government it produced, and everything that followed. This moment offers a significant opportunity to take stock, to pause and assess the governance system we have built and whether it still serves the purpose it was meant to.
At the end of the day, Somalia needs a leaner, more efficient government — one focused on serving its people, not on creating political jobs. The structure of the state should match the country’s economic realities, not depend endlessly on foreign aid. It is time for an honest question: Can we really afford the kind of government we have?


Mohamed Mukhtar Ibrahim can be reached by email at [email protected]

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