Ahmed Shide has been elected Speaker of Ethiopia’s House of Peoples’ Representatives, becoming the first ethnic Somali to lead the country’s lower parliamentary chamber.
ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia (Somali Report) — Ethiopia’s newly elected House of Peoples’ Representatives has unanimously elected Ahmed Shide as its speaker, making him the first ethnic Somali to lead the lower chamber of the federal parliament.
Shide was elected on Monday as the seventh parliamentary term opened following Ethiopia’s June 1 general election. His appointment places a politician from the Somali Regional State at the head of the country’s main federal legislative chamber.
The House also appointed Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed to a second term during the opening proceedings. Abiy was subsequently sworn in, formally beginning another five-year term as head of Ethiopia’s federal government.
Shide, a veteran Ethiopian politician, has held several senior government positions, including transport minister and minister of government communication affairs. He served as finance minister for nearly eight years, becoming one of the most prominent officials from Ethiopia’s Somali community at the federal level.
His elevation to the speakership marks a significant milestone for ethnic Somalis in Ethiopia’s federal political system. The House of Peoples’ Representatives is the lower chamber of the country’s two-house parliament and plays a central role in federal lawmaking and oversight of the government.
Shide is not, however, the first ethnic Somali to lead one of Ethiopia’s federal parliamentary chambers. Adem Farah Ibrahim, also known as Aden Farah, was elected speaker of the House of Federation, the upper chamber, in June 2020. He served in the position until October 2021.
The distinction is that Shide is the first ethnic Somali to become speaker of the House of Peoples’ Representatives, the more powerful lower chamber from which the federal government derives its parliamentary mandate.
Somali Report · Newsletter
Your morning briefing on Somalia's biggest stories — politics, security, business, and the people shaping the region's future.
His election came as Ethiopia entered a new political and institutional phase following the general election and the formation of a new federal government. The opening of parliament also saw Ayelech Eshete elected deputy speaker of the House of Peoples’ Representatives.
In the upper chamber, lawmakers separately elected Muferihat Kamil as speaker of the House of Federation and Desta Ledamo as deputy speaker, completing the leadership structure of Ethiopia’s two federal parliamentary institutions.
The new parliamentary term begins against a backdrop of significant political and security challenges. Ethiopia has continued to grapple with instability in parts of the country, including tensions and armed conflict in northern regions.
The government faces pressure to consolidate peace and political stability while addressing economic challenges and managing relations between the federal government and regional administrations.
For Shide, the new position will require him to preside over a chamber representing Ethiopia’s diverse regions and ethnic communities. His election also gives him a prominent role in overseeing parliamentary proceedings as Abiy’s government begins its new five-year term.
The appointment therefore carries both institutional and symbolic significance, placing an ethnic Somali politician at the centre of Ethiopia’s federal legislature at the start of a new political chapter.
About the Author
Ahmed Omar is a senior journalist for Somali Report, based in Mogadishu. He has two decades of experience reporting on Somalia for international and local media. He covers politics, security, governance, business, trade, economic developments and regional affairs.
Egypt Prepares to Deploy Troops to Somalia Amid Deepening Military Ties
