Yusuf Hassan Abdi

Yusuf Hassan Abdi
Born	(1953-03-09) March 9, 1953 Nairobi, Kenya
Occupation(s)	Politician, diplomat, social advocate, former journalist
Years active	1974–present
Known for	Member of Kenyan Parliament since 2011; former UN official

Yusuf Hassan Abdi (, ) (born 9 March 1953) is a Kenyan figure known for his roles as a politician, diplomat, social advocate, and former journalist. Following a substantial tenure with the United Nations, he entered the Kenyan parliament as a member in 2011.

Personal life

Born in 1953 in Nairobi, Kenya, Hassan hails from an ethnic Somali background.

A practicing Muslim, Hassan is proficient in several languages, including native fluency in Somali, English, and Swahili. Additionally, he possesses working proficiency in Arabic, French, and Spanish.

Education

Hassan’s early education began at Garissa Primary School before he transferred to Aga Khan Primary School in Nairobi. He later attended Chavakali High School in Vihiga but was expelled during Form III due to his involvement in leading a student strike.

He relocated to London where he earned a Bachelor of Arts (BA) with honours in Humanities, alongside a Diploma of Higher Education (DipHE) from the University of Middlesex. His postgraduate studies included public administration and politics at the University of London, followed by a Master of Arts (MA) degree in international relations from The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University in Massachusetts.

General

Hassan’s professional journey commenced in 1974 at the Nairobi-based Kenya Broadcasting Corporation (KBC), formerly Voice of Kenya, where he worked as an announcer and producer. In 1978, he spent nearly a year reporting for the Kuwaiti daily Arab Times. From 1979 until 1984, he served as a producer for the BBC External Service in London. Subsequently, he spent five years as Senior Editor and co-founder of the monthly publication Africa Events.

Following political oppression in Kenya, Hassan remained abroad after his contract concluded. During this period, he became an executive member and co-founder of the Committee for the Release of Political Prisoners (CRPPK), also co-editing its journal. In 1987, he was elected chairman of Ukenya, an opposition group based in the UK; his activism resulted in the revocation of his passport and led to the arrest of his father.

In 1990, Hassan directed consultancy efforts aiding Namibia’s government to transform its National Radio and Television into an effective public broadcaster. He served as its first Director of Operations and played a key role in drafting Namibia’s initial post-independence communications legislation and information policy.

Between 1992 and 1994, Hassan worked as a senior broadcaster within Voice of America’s Africa Division. He also contributed to establishing South Africa’s pioneering community radio station serving local communities.

In 1994, Hassan joined the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) headquartered in Geneva, undertaking various diplomatic assignments such as Senior External Media Relations and Public Information Officer for Southern SADC. From 1999 to 2001, he led UNHCR’s External and Media Relations operations across Southwest and Central Asia based in Islamabad while representing the agency in East Timor and Southern Africa.

From 2001 to 2002, Hassan acted as senior spokesperson for UN missions in Kabul before spending four years as Senior Policy Adviser to the UN Secretary-General, focusing on regions including the Horn of Africa, Middle East, Southwest Asia, and Great Lakes area.

Between 2006 and 2007, he served as director of IRIN, a United Nations news service, before assuming the role of Regional Communications Manager for UNHCR in Nairobi.

Political career

Prompted by encouragement from the Somali business community in Eastleigh, Hassan resigned from his UN position in 2007 to participate in the Kamukunji by-election. Initially running under the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) banner, he was reportedly victorious; however, the party ultimately awarded the seat to a competitor. After switching allegiance to ODM-Kenya, he finished third amid allegations of voting irregularities, with his supporters asserting that ballot theft deprived him of success.

In August 2011, Hassan once again vied for the Kamukunji seat, this time on a PNU ticket. He won with 19,030 votes in an election characterized by low voter turnout but widely regarded as free and fair.

During his tenure as a Member of Parliament, Hassan was notably active in parliamentary debates, having spoken 214 times by December 2012. He consistently championed issues concerning the Somali community.

In his 2012 re-election campaign, Hassan engaged Somali diaspora groups in Columbus, Ohio to bolster his support base.

On December 7, 2012, while meeting constituents in Eastleigh, Hassan was wounded in a grenade attack. Targeted by elements opposed to peace efforts due to his constituency work, he sustained a broken leg and received treatment at the Aga Khan Hospital, followed by reconstructive surgery in Johannesburg.

Hassan secured re-election in March 2013 on a The National Alliance (TNA) ticket and maintained his parliamentary seat in subsequent elections: in 2017 under Jubilee with 54% of the vote and again during the 2022 Kenyan general election.

Awards

Hassan was honored as Person of the Year in 2012 by Somali news platform Hiiraan Online, recognizing his effective advocacy for the Somali community, strong connections with Eastleigh’s business sector, and achievements in facilitating critical infrastructure developments.

See also

• Amina Mohamed