Ministry of Energy and Water Resources of Somalia: what it does

What it does

The ministry's website says it has "the mandate to oversee the Somalia Energy sector, set policies, and strategic frameworks, approve tariffs for the electricity services, and build the technical capacity of electricity service providers" (Ministry of Energy and Water Resources). It also covers water: national water policy, groundwater and rural water supply (MoEWR, About).

Somalia's electricity is produced and sold almost entirely by private companies, most running diesel generators, with a growing share of solar. The ministry's role is to make the rules, set tariffs and channel public money into the grid. The ministry says the Somalia Electricity Act was approved during the current minister's term and that a national electricity regulator was set up to license providers and oversee tariffs (MoEWR, The Minister). It also chairs an energy sector working group of the member states' energy ministries, donors, power companies and universities (same source). See Electricity.

Who leads it

Abdullahi Bidhaan Warsame is minister (MoEWR, The Minister; Dawan Africa, October 2026). An older page on the ministry's site names an earlier minister, Jama Taqal, appointed by presidential decree (MoEWR, About).

The money

From the federal budget (Appropriation Act for 2027, as submitted):

The rise in 2026 comes from World Bank projects that pass through the budget. The largest are ASCENT, for clean energy access (US$46.6 million in 2026, US$47.7 million proposed for 2027), Barwaaqo, for rural water (US$17.7 million and US$25.1 million), and Ground Water for Resilience (US$10.4 million and US$12.1 million) (same source).

What it reports doing

These are the ministry's statements, as reported:

• Free power for public buildings: in November 2025 the ministry said it had connected 335 health and education facilities to free electricity, including Somali National University and schools in Mogadishu (SONNA, 24 November 2025). In 2026 the minister visited facilities in Dhusamareb receiving free power under the Somalia Electricity Recovery Project, known as ILAYS (Radio Dalsan). It also announced the electrification of 150 public health facilities (MoEWR, press release).
• A national grid plan: it published the Somalia Generation and Transmission Plan in 2025 (MoEWR, Generation and Transmission Plan 2025) and set a target of 50 percent of electricity from renewables by 2028 (Dawan Africa).
• Power from Ethiopia: in 2026 the minister said Somalia plans to import electricity from Ethiopia, hoping for a price near 5 US cents per kilowatt-hour (Dawan Africa).
• State stakes: the government plans to take stakes in electricity and water companies (Dawan Africa).

Prices

On 25 October 2026 three Mogadishu power companies, BECO, Mogadishu Power and Blue Sky Energy, raised tariffs by 5 US cents per kilowatt-hour. The minister said the companies first asked to double prices, which the ministry refused, and blamed fuel costs linked to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. He said "Somalia is among the countries with the highest electricity prices in the world", that more than US$250 million of investment is needed, and that the government aims to cut prices by 45 percent in Mogadishu and eight other cities (Dawan Africa, 28 October 2026).

How the work is shared

Each member state has its own ministry of energy and water. Puntland and Somaliland run their own. The federal ministry holds coordination conferences with the state ministries; one was held in Dhusamareb (SONNA).

How to reach it

Policies, plans and press releases are on moewr.gov.so. Electricity bills and connections are handled by the private power company in each city.

Its legal basis

The Electricity Act, as described by the ministry, and the mandate given by the Council of Ministers under the 2012 Provisional Constitution, as amended in 2024 and 2026.