 He was elected to the National Assembly in the December 1997 parliamentary election as the 11th candidate on the joint candidate list of the People's Rally for Progress (RPP) and FRUD for Dikhil Region.Following this election, he was moved to the post of Minister of the Civil Service and Administrative Reform on 28 December 1997.Kifleh Ahmed was appointed as Minister of National Defense on 12 May 1999.