For the last 27 years there has been one vice mayor serving on the Addis Ababa city council, however as a test two vice mayors were assigned last week.
Abate Setotaw served as vice mayor for a long time, he resigned to make way for one male and one female vice mayor. A source close to the mayor’s office told Capital that the experimental position was created because there is so much work. “In the past years a deputy mayor was busy in political, economic and social aspects which was very hard to handle so we are having two deputy mayors to divide the tasks.”
According to the source they will review the results after two years to decide whether or not to make the position permanent or return to the old system.
Recently Degmawit Mogees (the former Addis Ababa communication head) and Solomon Kidane (PhD) (former Head of Roads and Transport Office) were assigned to be vice mayor until the city carries out its next election in a year.
Takele Umma (Eng.), who is not a member of the City Council, was appointed Deputy Mayor of the city with a mayor rank. If Takele was the member of the council he would hold the mayor title. It is the first time in Addis Ababa’s history it has been led by a deputy mayor.
Takele was a member of the Oromia Regional State Cabinet and a head of Oromia Transport Bureau.
According to experts, lack of efficient management capacity in the city remains the main challenge for the city. Takele will be expected to address problems surrounding housing, inflation and unemployment in the next year.
