Mohamed Yusuf Haji

Mohamed Yusuf Haji EGH
Maxamed Yuusuf Xaaji
Member of theKenyan Senate
In office 28 March 2013 – 15 February 2021
Succeeded by	Abdulkadir Haji
Constituency	Garissa County
Minister of State for Defence
In office 8 January 2008 – 26 April 2013
President	Mwai Kibaki
Preceded by	Njenga Karume
Succeeded by	Raychelle Omamo
Member of theNational Assembly of Kenya
In office 2003 – March 2013
Preceded by	Mohammed Weyrah
Succeeded by	Ibrahim Abass Ibrahim
Constituency	Ijara
Personal details
Born	(1940-12-23)23 December 1940 Garissa District,British Kenya
Died	15 February 2021(2021-02-15)(aged 80) Nairobi,Kenya
Political party	KANU TNA
Children	Noordin Haji(son) Abdul Haji(son)
Alma mater	University of Birmingham(Dip)
Ethnicity	Somali
Religion	Islam

Mohamed Yusuf Haji(Somali:Maxamed Yuusuf Xaaji) (23 December 1940 – 15 February 2021) was a Kenyan politician. He was the Minister of Defence ofKenyafrom 2008 to 2013, and briefly served as its acting Minister of Internal Security and Provincial Affairs in 2012. He has served in theSenate of Kenyasince 2013 under the jubilee party. He died on 15 February 2021.

Personal life

Birmingham University

Haji was born on 23 December 1940 inGarissa Districtin theNorth Eastern Province(Northern Frontier District) to anethnic Somalifamily.He hails from the Abdalla subclan of theOgadenandBoranafrom his mom side.

For his post-secondary education, Haji earned a diploma from theUniversity of Birmingham,where he majored in Management and Finance Control.

Haji is married and has nine children (one deceased). One of Haji's son, Abdul Yusuf Haji, is a businessman. Another son,Noordin Yusuf Haji,is an undercover anti-terrorism agent and theDirector of Public Prosecutions,He also worked as a deputy director of theNational Intelligence Serviceand worked in the attorney general's office since 1999. Both of Haji's sons, Abdul and Noordin (who both of them have experience with guns since their childhood), were involved in theWestgate shopping mall attackin 2013 and they were credited with saving multiple lives despite deadly danger. Abdul was photographed helping rescue an American mother and her three daughters, providing cover with other armed rescuers byGoran Tomasevic,Reuterschief photographer forEast Africa.The senator died in 2021 on the morning of 15 February and after a very long time illnesses that saw him flown to Turkey for treatment and came back to the country where he died a week later at the Agha Khan hospital.

Political career

Early career

Haji began his professional career in administration and management. He joined the Provincial Administration of Kenya as aDistrict Officerin 1960, and went on to serve as Provincial Commissioner between 1970 and 1997.He was among the eight powerful provincial commissioners who were in office during the Wagalla Massacre in February 1984.

In 1998, Haji was nominated as a member of the Kenyan Parliament. He was later elected an official Member of Parliament on aKenya African National Union(KANU) ticket.

From 1998 to 2001, Haji worked as an Assistant Minister in the Office of the President. He subsequently acted as the Office's Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs in 2002.

On a KANU ticket, Haji was elected to represent theIjara Constituencyin theNational Assembly of Kenyaat the2007 parliamentary elections.

Minister of Defence

On 8 January 2008, Haji was appointed Kenya'sMinister of State for Defenceafter the 27 December 2007 general elections.

On 18 October 2011, Haji and a Kenyan delegation met withTransitional Federal Governmentof Somalia (TFG) officials inMogadishuto discuss security issues cooperation against the IslamistAl-Shabaabgroup as part of the coordinatedOperation Linda Nchi.Haji and Somalia's Minister of DefenceHussein Arab Issethen signed an agreement to collaborate against the insurgent group.

In early June 2012, Haji signed another agreement officially re-hatting Kenya's deployed military forces in Somalia under theAMISOMgeneral command.

Haji's term as Minister of Defence ended on 26 April 2013.

Minister of Internal Security

On 18 June 2012, Haji was appointed Kenya's acting Minister of Internal Security and Provincial Affairs after the incumbent ministerGeorge Saitotidied in a helicopter crash a few days earlier. Haji had previously worked closely with Saitoti on the Linda Nchi military operation. Haji held the new position concurrently with the Minister of Defence docket until a permanent Internal Minister was appointed on 21 September 2012.

External links

• Profile: Mohamed Yusuf Haji