• President John Mahama has nominated Kenneth Gilbert Adjei as Ghana’s new Defence Minister, subject to parliamentary approval, nearly a year after the helicopter crash that claimed the lives of the previous ministers.

• Adjei previously served as Deputy Defence Minister (2015–2017) before becoming Minister for Works, Housing and Water Resources under the Mahama administration in 2025.

• If approved by Parliament, he will return to the Defence Ministry, bringing previous defence experience to the role as the government seeks to strengthen national security and public administration.

President John Dramani Mahama has nominated Kenneth Gilbert Adjei as Ghana’s new Minister for Defence, marking a return to a ministry where he previously served as Deputy Minister nearly a decade ago.The nomination, announced on Friday, August 7, 2026, is subject to parliamentary approval and forms part of a Cabinet reshuffle following the deaths of Defence Minister Dr Edward Omane Boamah and Environment Minister Ibrahim Murtala Muhammed in last year’s military helicopter crash.

Here’s a look at Kenneth Gilbert Adjei’s career, education and public service journey.

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Kenneth Gilbert Adjei was born on September 20, 1978, and hails from Trede in the Ashanti Region. He attended Opoku Ware School, where he served as the dining hall prefect before pursuing higher education at the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA), earning a Bachelor of Science in Marketing.

He later obtained an Executive MBA in Marketing from the University of Ghana Business School and, in 2022, completed a Master of Arts in Peace, Security and Intelligence Management at the University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA).

Before entering ministerial office, he served as Programme Director of the Lordina Foundation, a charitable organisation founded by former First Lady Lordina Mahama. He also worked as a marketing executive and served on the Board of the National Lottery Authority, gaining experience in strategic planning and corporate governance.

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A member of the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC), Kenneth Adjei first entered national government in 2015 when then-President John Mahama appointed him Deputy Minister for Defence.

After parliamentary approval, he served in that position until January 2017, working on defence policy, military welfare and international security cooperation.

When President Mahama returned to office in 2025, Adjei was nominated as Minister for Works, Housing and Water Resources. Parliament approved his appointment, and he oversaw policies aimed at addressing Ghana’s housing deficit, improving water supply systems, tackling flooding and reviving stalled infrastructure projects, including efforts to restart the Saglemi Housing Project.

On August 7, 2026, the Presidency announced that Kenneth Gilbert Adjei had been nominated as Minister for Defence, replacing the temporary arrangement under which Finance Minister Dr Cassiel Ato Forson had oversight responsibility for the ministry following last year’s helicopter tragedy.

The nomination comes one year after the military helicopter crash that claimed the lives of Defence Minister Dr Edward Omane Boamah, Environment Minister Ibrahim Murtala Muhammed and several senior government and military officials.

READ ALSO: Mahama nominates new Defence, Environment ministers one year after helicopter crash

According to the Presidency, the latest ministerial changes are intended to strengthen government operations as the Mahama administration continues to realign its Cabinet. If approved by Parliament, Adjei will return to the Defence Ministry as substantive minister having previously served there as deputy between 2015 and 2017.

Over the years, Kenneth Gilbert Adjei has held several public and professional positions, including the programme Director, Lordina Foundation, board Member, National Lottery Authority, deputy Minister for Defence (2015–2017), minister for Works, Housing and Water Resources (2025–2026), defence Minister-designate (nominated on August 7, 2026, pending parliamentary approval).

Adjei’s appointment is subject to vetting and approval by Parliament.