Oromia Caffee Restructures 21 Zones into Six New Administrative Regions

The Oromia Regional Council (Caffee) has restructured the region's 21 zones into six newly organized administrative divisions: East, South East, South, South West, Central, and West. According to regional officials, including Regional President Shimelis Abdisa and Regional Justice Bureau Head Guyyo Wario, the primary objective of this reform is to decentralize government services down to the kebele (local village) level and build a stronger local governance structure. President Shimelis stated that historical administrative models concentrated power and personnel at the regional and zonal levels, whereas current assessments showed over 63% of public servants are actually based at the kebele level. While supporters praise the move as a step toward eliminating sub-regional division and improving efficiency, critics have expressed concerns regarding further political division and potential central interference. Government officials maintain that bringing resources, power, and services closer to farmers, pastoralists, and urban residents is essential for rapid regional development.