Sri Lankan-born politician Kamzy Gunaratnam has joined Norway’s Cabinet as Minister of Transport, taking her political journey from Jaffna to one of the country’s senior government positions.
Norway appointed Gunaratnam to the post on September 11, 2026, succeeding Jon-Ivar Nygård.
As Transport Minister, she is responsible for policies covering the transport of people and goods, as well as postal services.
Born Khamshajiny Gunaratnam in Sri Lanka in 1988, she moved to Norway with her family as a young child. She later entered politics through Norway’s Labour Party.
From local politics to Parliament
Gunaratnam entered the Oslo City Council in 2007 at the age of 19.
She later served as Oslo’s deputy mayor from 2015 to 2021 before entering Norway’s Parliament, known as the Storting, in 2021.
Her political journey also carries the experience of surviving the 2011 Utøya massacre, when a gunman attacked a Labour Party youth camp.
Gunaratnam went on to build her career in national politics before joining the Norwegian Cabinet in September 2026.
Maintaining a connection with her birthplace
Despite building her political career in Norway, Gunaratnam has continued to raise issues related to Sri Lanka in the Norwegian Parliament.
During a parliamentary debate in February 2026, she recalled being born in war-torn Sri Lanka in 1988.
She also raised concerns about Sri Lanka’s human rights situation and referred to the discovery of human remains at Chemmani in Jaffna.
Her intervention also addressed unresolved questions surrounding people who disappeared during the conflict.
Gunaratnam’s appointment now takes the Jaffna-born politician from local government in Oslo and Norway’s Parliament to the country’s Cabinet.
Last modified: September 16, 2026
