Federal government: ministries and agencies
Data Protection Authority of Somalia: who checks how your data is used
Somalia's Data Protection Authority was set up under the Data Protection Act, Law No. 005 of 2023. It registers organisations that collect personal data, handles complaints and must be told of data breaches within 72 hours. In May 2026 it began registering banks, telecoms, hospitals, NGOs and government offices. Mohamed Nur Olow leads it.
What it does
The Data Protection Act, Law No. 005 of 2023, was signed in March 2023 and set up the Data Protection Authority as the national body for protecting personal data and privacy in the public and private sectors (Dawan Africa, 25 June 2026). The authority's mandate covers (Dawan Africa, 25 June 2026):
- registering and licensing data controllers and data processors;
- issuing guidance and standards;
- handling complaints and enforcement;
- public awareness and training.
Goobjoog News describes it as an independent regulator and reports that the law was part of the reforms Somalia passed on the way to debt relief (Goobjoog News).
Who leads it
| Period | Head | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Mohamed Ahmed Ali "Royal", Director General; suspended by the Minister of Communications in November 2024 | Goobjoog News; Halqabsi, November 2024 |
| 2026 | Mohamed Nur Olow (also written Noor Olow), Director General | Dawan Africa, 20 May 2026; Dawan Africa, 25 June 2026 |
Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre laid the foundation stone for the authority's main building in Mogadishu (Goobjoog News).
The money
The figures are from the federal Appropriation Act for 2027 as submitted to parliament, where the body is sub-head 030702 under the Ministry of Post and Telecommunication (Ministry of Finance, Appropriation Act 2027):
| Year | US$ |
|---|---|
| 2025 (actual) | 169,820 |
| 2026 (budget) | 242,540 |
| 2027 (proposed) | 304,100 |
All federal bodies' budgets are compared on federal bodies and their budgets.
What it reports doing in 2026
- 20 May: it launched a registration and oversight system for organisations that handle citizens' data. The director said it would assess them every six months, that the rules apply to telecoms, banks, fintech firms, hospitals, NGOs and government agencies, and that breaches must be reported within 72 hours (Dawan Africa, 20 May 2026).
- 31 May: it issued a notice, based on Article 32 of the law, requiring all data controllers and processors in Somalia to register, and said it would issue certificates to those that qualify (Dawan Africa, 31 May 2026).
- June: it ran a five-day training course on the law for public and private bodies, attended by the heads of the Somali Universities Association and the Somali Bankers Association (Dawan Africa, 25 June 2026).
How the work is shared
The authority's budget line sits under the Ministry of Communications and Technology. The National Communications Authority regulates telecoms firms, and the national ID agency holds identity data (NIRA).
Sources
- Dawan Africa, 25 June 2026 · dawan.africa
- Goobjoog News · en.goobjoog.com
- Halqabsi, November 2024 · halqabsi.com
- Dawan Africa, 20 May 2026 · dawan.africa
- Ministry of Finance, Appropriation Act 2027 · mof.gov.so
- Dawan Africa, 31 May 2026 · dawan.africa
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Where this matters
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