# Somalia's federal government: the President, the Prime Minister and the Council of Ministers > How Somalia's federal executive works: the President's powers, the Prime Minister, the Council of Ministers, the list of ministries, and presidents since 1960. Source page: https://calankii.com/en/institutions/president-and-council-of-ministers/ Last checked: 2026-11-12 Publisher: Calankii (https://calankii.com) ## How the federal executive is built Somalia has a **President** as head of state and a **Prime Minister** as head of government. The President is chosen by the two houses of parliament. The Prime Minister leads the **Council of Ministers**, which holds the executive power of the federal government ([Provisional Constitution 2012, Article 97, via Constitute Project](https://www.constituteproject.org/constitution/Somalia_2012)). The 2024 amendments let the President both appoint and dismiss the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister and cabinet still need the confidence of the House of the People. Parliament kept this split rather than a system where the President also heads the government ([ConstitutionNet, International IDEA, 7 April 2026](https://constitutionnet.org/news/voices/provisional-permanent-constitution-assessing-end-somalias-constitutional-review-process)). The March 2026 amendments kept the President chosen by parliament (same source). ## What the President does Under the 2012 constitution the President ([Article 90](https://www.constituteproject.org/constitution/Somalia_2012)): - Appoints the Prime Minister. - Signs laws passed by parliament so they take effect. - Is commander in chief of the armed forces and declares a state of emergency or war under the law. - Appoints judges, senior officials, heads of federal institutions and ambassadors, on the recommendation of the Council of Ministers or the judicial oversight body. - Opens the House of the People and addresses it once a year. - Receives foreign diplomats and confers state honours. The President's office is Villa Somalia in Mogadishu. ## What the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers do The Council of Ministers is the highest executive body. It is made up of the Prime Minister, deputy prime ministers, ministers, state ministers and deputy ministers ([Article 97](https://www.constituteproject.org/constitution/Somalia_2012)). It ([Article 99](https://www.constituteproject.org/constitution/Somalia_2012)): - Sets government policy and carries it out. - Prepares draft laws and sends them to the House of the People. - Prepares the annual budget and the final accounts. - Sets the national development plan. The current plan is the National Transformation Plan; see [the National Transformation Plan](/en/economy/national-transformation-plan/). - Appoints and dismisses senior public officials and proposes ambassadors. **Rules for members:** the Prime Minister must be at least 40 and ministers at least 30, and all must have a university education. While in office they may not run a private business, buy or rent government property, or sell or rent their own to the government ([Article 98](https://www.constituteproject.org/constitution/Somalia_2012)). **Size:** the Council of Ministers named in August 2022 had 75 members: 26 cabinet ministers, 24 state ministers and 25 deputy ministers ([Hiiraan Online, August 2022](https://hiiraan.org/news4/2022/Aug/187239/somalia_s_new_prime_minister_names_a_25_member_cabinet.aspx)). In June 2026 the Prime Minister named Abdisalan Abdi Ali as a second Deputy Prime Minister, alongside Salah Ahmed Jama ([Garowe Online, June 2026](https://garoweonline.com/index.php/en/news/somalia/somalia-pm-appoints-second-deputy-pm-as-part-of-major-cabinet-reshuffle)). ## The ministries The federal cabinet ministries listed in 2025 were ([CIA, World Leaders: Somalia, updated August 2025](https://www.cia.gov/resources/world-leaders/historical-data/2026-may/somalia/)): - Agriculture and Irrigation - Defence - Education and Higher Education - Endowments and Religion - Energy and Water - Environment and Climate Change - Finance - Fisheries and Maritime Resources - Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation - Health - Information - Interior - Internal Security - Justice and Constitution - Labour and Social Affairs - Livestock - Petroleum and Mineral Resources - Planning and Investment - Ports and Transport - Posts and Communications - Public Works and Housing - Trade and Industry - Transport and Civil Aviation - Women and Human Rights - Youth and Sports The full official names are longer; for example, the Ministry of Education's full name is the Ministry of Education, Culture and Higher Education ([SNBS, Facts and Figures 2024](https://nbs.gov.so/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Facts-and-figures-2024.pdf)). Ministers change often in reshuffles. The Office of the Prime Minister publishes the current list ([Office of the Prime Minister](https://opm.gov.so/)). ## Presidents since 1960 - [Aden Abdulle Osman](/en/people/aden-abdulle-osman/), 1960 to 1967 - [Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke](/en/people/abdirashid-ali-shermarke/), 1967 to 1969 - [Mohamed Siad Barre](/en/people/siad-barre/), 1969 to 1991 - [Abdiqasim Salad Hassan](/en/people/abdiqasim-salad-hassan/), 2000 to 2004 ([Transitional National Government](/en/history/transitional-governments-2000-2012/)) - [Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed](/en/people/abdullahi-yusuf-ahmed/), 2004 to 2008 (Transitional Federal Government) - [Sharif Sheikh Ahmed](/en/people/sharif-sheikh-ahmed/), 2009 to 2012 - [Hassan Sheikh Mohamud](/en/people/hassan-sheikh-mohamud/), 2012 to 2017 - [Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed](/en/people/mohamed-abdullahi-farmaajo/) (Farmaajo), 2017 to 2022 - Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, from 15 May 2022 Source: [List of presidents of Somalia, Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_presidents_of_Somalia). For the history of each period, see [the civilian era, 1960 to 1969](/en/history/civilian-era-1960-1969/) and [the Siad Barre era](/en/history/siad-barre-era-1969-1991/). ## In the news, November 2026 Opposition groups say the terms of the President, parliament and government ended in 2026. Five judges of the Supreme Court's Constitutional Division ruled the same in early November 2026; the Attorney General's office said the ruling had no legal effect ([Dawan Africa, November 2026](https://www.dawan.africa/news/somalia-swears-in-new-supreme-court-chief-amid-dispute-over-governments-term)). See [Somalia's courts](/en/institutions/courts-and-judiciary/). ## How to use it - **Services:** most services people need, such as passports, ID cards and birth records, are run by federal agencies under these ministries. See [Somali passport](/en/states/somali-passport/), [National ID (NIRA)](/en/states/national-id-nira/) and [Birth records](/en/states/birth-records/). - **Statements and decisions:** the Council of Ministers meets weekly, usually on Thursdays, and its decisions are published by the Office of the Prime Minister and the state news agency [SONNA](/en/institutions/state-media/) ([SONNA](https://sonna.so/en/)). ## Its legal basis Chapter 7 of the 2012 Provisional Constitution (Articles 87 to 104), as amended on 30 March 2024 and 4 March 2026. --- I want to help with this: email hello@calankii.com. Fix this page: email hello@calankii.com with the page link and your source.