Hussen’s Public Works tenure featured anti-corruption, Soviet renegotiation, and Somali Airlines

Evidence

Three major issues stand out in Hussen’s performance during his tenure at Public Works, singling him out as an upright and activist minister with uncommon vision: the reorganization of the ministry and an anticorruption drive, the renegotiations with the Soviets, and the creation of Somali Airlines. The Ministry of Public Works was less complicated politically than Interior but a challenging portfolio to manage as it dealt with complex technical matters. Hussen’s predecessor was an elderly man who had been an interpreter for the Italians. He had not been an energetic minister and had offered little leadership and direction to his staff. — Abdi Ismail Samatar, Africa’s First Democrats, 714