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?
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?