Mohamed Yusuf Haji

Mohamed Yusuf Haji (23 December 1940 – 15 February 2021) was a Kenyan politician. He was the Minister of State for Defence of Kenya from 2008 to 2013, and briefly served as its acting Minister of Internal Security and Provincial Affairs in 2012. He served in the Senate of Kenya since 2013 under the jubilee party. He died on 15 February 2021.

Personal life

Haji was born on 23 December 1940 in Garissa District in the North Eastern Province (Northern Frontier District) to an ethnic Somali family. He hails from the Abdalla subclan of the Ogaden and Majeerteen from his mom side.

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

Minister of Defence On 8 January 2008, Haji was appointed Kenya's Minister of State for Defence after the 27 December 2007 general elections. Haji and Somalia's Minister of Defence Hussein Arab Isse then 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 the AMISOM general 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 minister George Saitoti died 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.