Legal Dispute Erupts Over Ethiopia Business Chamber Election

By Mintesinot Nigussie  |  September 8, 2026

The election of new leaders at Ethiopia’s National Chamber Sectoral Associations has been challenged in court, putting a newly introduced set of eligibility requirements and the chamber’s representation system at the centre of a legal dispute, Capital Newspaper reported.

Former Vice President and Acting President Abebayehu Girma, Oromia Regional Council representative Woyuma Gemese and other plaintiffs have asked the Federal First Instance Trade and Investment Court to invalidate the April 7 election that installed MIDROC Investment Group CEO Jemal Ahmed as president and Belayneh Kinde as vice president. The court has reviewed the case and adjourned proceedings until October 2026.

The dispute turns partly on Ministry of Industry guidelines that require candidates to have registered capital of at least one billion birr and operate a minimum of two manufacturing plants. The plaintiffs argue that these conditions conflict with Proclamation No. 341/2003, which governs chambers of commerce and sectoral associations.

They also challenge the route through which candidates reached the national leadership. According to the plaintiffs, the governing framework requires anyone seeking a federal board, presidential or vice-presidential position to have first served as a board member of their respective regional council.

The lawsuit alleges that this requirement was bypassed in the latest election, with regional manufacturing representatives replaced by individuals appointed through ministerial directives.

Another point of contention is Article 23 of the same proclamation, which the plaintiffs say requires candidates for sectoral association boards and presidential positions to be business owners rather than appointed managers or employees. They maintain that most members of the newly elected board do not satisfy the ownership requirement.

The plaintiffs argue that the chamber system was established to give businesses across the regions a voice, including small and medium-sized manufacturing enterprises, rather than concentrating representation among large companies.

The National Chamber Sectoral Associations serves as a constituent body of the Ethiopian Chamber of Commerce and Sectoral Associations. The latter comprises nine regional chambers, two city chambers, one national sectoral council and six national-level sectoral associations.

The National Chamber Sectoral Associations Council brings together regional councils from Oromia, Amhara, Tigray, Afar and Somali, as well as national sectoral associations.

Source: FSX Business News