Govt approves constitutional cap of 60 ministers

The government has accepted a proposal to place a constitutional limit on the number of ministers a president can appoint, setting the maximum at 60.

Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, Dr. Dominic Ayine, announced the decision on Thursday, July 30, 2026, while presenting the government's White Paper on the recommendations of the Constitutional Review Committee (CRC).

Although the CRC recommended that the number of ministers be capped at 57, the government has opted for a slightly higher limit of 60.

“Government has accepted the proposal to cap the number of ministers. But instead of 57, as the committee recommended, the government is proposing that it should be capped at 60.”

Dr. Ayine explained that the proposed ceiling would be entrenched in the Constitution, making it binding on all future presidents and preventing them from appointing more than the prescribed number of ministers.

“So it will be put into the Constitution that the number of ministers that any president elected by the sovereign people of this country can appoint will be only 60.”

He further disclosed that the proposed constitutional amendment would give presidents greater flexibility in constituting their governments, as they would no longer be required to appoint ministers exclusively from Parliament.

According to the Attorney-General, the measure forms part of a broader package of constitutional reforms aimed at promoting efficient governance, reducing the size of government and strengthening public sector accountability.