Deputy Minister for Defence, Ernest Brogya Genfi, has congratulated Kenneth Gilbert Adjei on his appointment as Ghana’s substantive Minister for Defence by President John Dramani Mahama, pledging his unwavering support.

In a message posted on Facebook following the announcement, Genfi described his relationship with the incoming Defence Minister as one founded on trust and brotherhood, expressing confidence in Adjei’s ability to provide firm and strategic leadership to Ghana’s defence establishment.

“Congratulations to Hon. Kenneth Gilbert Adjei on your appointment as Minister responsible for Defence at Ministry of Defence Ghana. Our bond of service has been one of trust and brotherhood. I have no doubt that your tactical acumen and firm leadership will continue to strengthen our defence architecture. Congratulations once again Boss!” Genfi wrote.

The appointment comes exactly a year after the tragic death of former Defence Minister Dr Edward Kofi Omane Boamah, who died alongside seven others in a Ghana Armed Forces helicopter crash on August 6, 2025.

Following the tragedy, Finance Minister Dr Cassiel Ato Forson was assigned additional responsibility for the Defence portfolio in an acting capacity.

During the period, the Ministry continued to oversee Ghana’s defence and security priorities, with the Deputy Minister, Ernest Brogya Genfi, playing a key role in supporting the ministry’s operations.

The new minister is not unfamiliar with the defence sector.

His appointment marks a return to a ministry in which he previously served as Deputy Minister of Defence under President Mahama between 2015 and 2017.
He was, before his appointment, the Minister of Works and Housing.

His return to the Defence Ministry consequently comes with a combination of previous defence experience and ministerial exposure in other areas of government.

Who is Kenneth Gilbert Adjei?

Kenneth Gilbert Adjei was born on September 20, 1978, and hails from Trede in the Ashanti Region. He received his secondary education at Opoku Ware School before proceeding to the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA), where he obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in Marketing.

He subsequently earned an Executive Master of Business Administration from the University of Ghana Business School and, in 2022, completed a Master of Arts degree in Peace, Security and Intelligence Management at the University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA).

Before entering ministerial office, Adjei worked in the private sector, including roles in marketing, finance, and insurance services. He also served as a programme director of the Lordina Foundation and held board-level responsibilities, including at the National Lottery Authority.

His political and public-service career has largely been associated with the National Democratic Congress. His first major ministerial assignment under President Mahama came in 2015 when he was appointed Deputy Minister of Defence, a position he held until the change of government in January 2017.

In 2025, President Mahama appointed him Minister for Works, Housing and Water Resources, where he became responsible for a portfolio covering public works, housing, water infrastructure, and related national development programmes.