Deputy Prime Minister

H.E. Salah Ahmed Jama took on the role of Deputy Prime Minister for the Federal Government of Somalia on August 2, 2022, after a remarkable career in public service, having served in the cabinet in two previous different capacities—first as the Minister of Labour and later, as the Minister of Constitutional Affairs.

Born in 1980 in Erigavo, Sanaag, DPM Salah embarked on a journey of education and exploration that took him from Somalia to India and later to Ottawa, Canada. In Ottawa, he obtained his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Political Science and Developmental Studies from the prestigious Carleton University.

Salah’s passion for academic pursuit saw him working as a teacher and research assistant at Carleton University’s Political Science and African Studies departments. His research in peace and state-building highlighted the complexities and challenges confronting post-conflict societies, about which he has written several publications reflecting on democratisation and state-building processes for fragile states. His notable work in the field includes the publication he co-authored, titled “Understanding the drivers and deficiencies of Afro-optimism: a development perspective”, published in the Horn of Africa Journal in 2012.

Returning to Mogadishu following the rebirth of the republic in the 2000s, H.E. Salah commenced his public service, starting as a Senior Electoral Adviser at the Ministry of Interior and Federal Affairs. His pivotal role involved implementing the Federal Government’s democratic agenda, including the inception of the National Independent Election Commission and the formulation of critical electoral legal documents.

H.E. Salah’s dedication to advancing Somalia’s state-building continued as he became the coordinator of the National Consultative Forum, spearheading public consultations across Somalia’s Federal Member States capitals and helping define the 2016 electoral model. He also served as a Strategic Policy Advisor instrumental in initiating organizational reforms, reestablishing control measures, and laying the groundwork for the new federal policing architecture of the Somali Police Force.

Cabinet
H.E. Salah has served in the cabinet of the Federal Government of Somalia since 2017, starting as the Minister of Labour and later as the Minister of Constitutional Affairs. In both capacities, he introduced a number of policies that facilitated institutional reforms.

At the Ministry of Labour, H.E. Salah led Somalia’s first civil service reform in half a century and masterminded the country’s first social safety net program. Later, as the Minister of Constitutional Affairs, H.E. Salah oversaw the review of Somalia’s Provisional Constitution, leading consultations with a wide range of stakeholders, including the public and federal member states, to finalise the constitution and ensure the efficiency, effectiveness and consistency between the federal and member state constitutions.

Federal Parliament of Somalia
On December 10, 2016, H.E. Salah was elected to the Federal Parliament of Somalia, representing the voice of Sanaag province and echoed the hopes of many in the House of the People. Five years later, Salah was elected as a Senator for the Sanaag province in the Upper House of the Federal Parliament on September 29, 2021, to continue his promise to serve the people.

Deputy Prime Minister
August 2, 2022, marks the date H.E. Salah became the Deputy Prime Minister of the Federal Government of Somalia. Since then, he has been actively involved in deliberating on addressing some of the nation’s most pressing challenges. As the Deputy Prime Minister, H.E. Salah leads a critical portfolio that includes the government’s response to climate change, economic development, rule of law implementation, inclusive politics, and stabilising and providing government services to the territories recovered from the terrorist group Al-Shabaab.

H.E. Salah champions the vision of a self-reliant, peaceful, and debt-free Somali nation that promises the perfect environment for the Somali people’s entrepreneurial spirit and inspires the hopes and ambitions of our children and vibrant youth.

H.E. Salah is passionate about Somali culture, poetry, and language and was drawn to these subjects at a young age, finding solace and inspiration in the stories and poems he read. He is also multilingual, and besides the Somali language, he also speaks English, Urdu, and Hindi.