Former IEBC Commissioner Mohamed Abdullahi Sharawe passes away

Former Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) commissioner, Mohamed Abdullahi Sharawe, has died.

On July 20, leaders across the country paid tribute to Mohamed Abdullahi Sharawe in their statements. 

Different leaders honoured his decades of service in government and public institutions. The cause of his death was not immediately disclosed.

In a condolence message, Eldas MP Adan Keynan described the late public servant as a distinguished statesman, engineer, and respected elder whose career was marked by integrity, humility, and a commitment to public service.

“As we mourn his passing, we also celebrate a life of honour, patriotism and selfless service. His legacy reminds us that true leadership is measured not by the offices one occupies, but by the institutions strengthened, the values upheld and the lives touched,” he mourned.

‘’I have received with profound sadness the news of the passing of my dear friend, classmate, and colleague, Eng. Abdullahi M. H. Sharawe, who passed away this morning,” confirmed former Mandera Senator Mohamed M. Mahamud 

Mohamed Abdullahi Sharawe was a Kenyan civil engineer and senior public administrator whose career in government spanned several decades. 

During the administration of President Daniel arap Moi, he served as Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Roads and Public Works, where he was involved in the management of public infrastructure and road development programs.

He later served as Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Research, Technical Training and Applied Technology, contributing to the development of policies on technical education, research and applied technology.

In 2009, President Mwai Kibaki appointed Mohamed Abdullahi Sharawe as Chairman of the Special Presidential Committee on Muslim Concerns. 

Where he was mandated to examine civil, administrative and socio-economic issues affecting the Muslim community and recommend appropriate government interventions.

Also in 2009, Sharawe was appointed a Commissioner of the Interim Independent Boundaries Review Commission (IIBRC), commonly known as the Ligale Commission.

The commission served until 2010, reviewing constituency and ward boundaries as part of the implementation of Kenya’s new constitutional order. 

During his tenure, the commission oversaw the first general election under the new Constitution in 2013 and undertook electoral boundary management and voter registration responsibilities.

Following the promulgation of the Constitution of Kenya, 2010, Sharawe became one of the inaugural commissioners of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), serving from 2011 to 2016.

Following Islamic traditions, funeral prayers and burial arrangements are being finalized by his family in Nairobi.

Leaders from the Somali community and former electoral agency colleagues praised Sharawe for his calm demeanor, institutional integrity, and decades-long commitment to public service and electoral management in Kenya.