Saara Kuugongelwa

Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila (born 12 October 1967) is the current Prime Minister of Namibia, in office since 21 March 2015. Kuugongelwa-Amadhila is a member of the South West Africa People's Organization (SWAPO). She has been a member of the National Assembly of Namibia since 1995 and served as Minister of Finance from 2003 to 2015. She is the first woman to serve as Prime Minister of Namibia. Saara is a Hon. Doctorate in Public Finance; MSC in Financial Economics. Economist at Office of the President 1995 -1995; Director General of National Planning Commission 1995 -2003; Minister of Finance 2003-2015; Prime Minister of Namibia 2015 -Present. Early life and education Saara Kuugongelwa was born on 12 October 1967 in Otamanzi, South West Africa (present day Namibia). She went into exile with SWAPO in 1980 at the age of 13 and left for Sierra Leone in 1982 at the age of 15. She attended Koidu Girls Secondary School from 1982 to 1984 and Saint Joseph's Secondary School from 1984 to 1987. From 1991 to 1994, she attended Lincoln University in Pennsylvania, United States, where she graduated with a MSc in financial economics. Political career Kuugongelwa-Amadhila returned to Namibia following her graduation from Lincoln University and took a position as economist in the Office of the President under Sam Nujoma. In 1995, after only a few months in the job, Nujoma appointed her to parliament at the age of 27, and made her director general of the National Planning Commission, a position in the rank of a minister. In 2003 Nujoma promoted her to Minister of Finance. Alongside President Hage Geingob, she was sworn in as the 4th Prime Minister of Namibia on 21 March 2015. She is the first woman to hold the position.