Born in 1963 on Pentecost Island,[2][failed verification] Salwai learned to speak French as a teenager.

[citation needed] In the summer of 2017, he appeared in South Korea at the RUTC "World Remnant Conference".

[10] In August 2020, Salwai, former cabinet ministers Matai Seremaiah and Jerome Ludvaune and former MP Tom Korr were committed to the Supreme Court on charges of bribery and corruption over allegations he had bribed MPs who had signed the motion.

[15] He was pardoned by the President of Vanuatu, Tallis Obed Moses, in September 2021, which restored his eligibility to run for public office.

[16] On 6 October 2023, Salwai was elected prime minister following the ousting of Sato Kilman in a vote of no confidence.