Paul Ssemogerere
Paul Kawanga Ssemongere (born 1932) was the leader of the Democratic Party in Uganda for 25 years and one of the main players in Ugandan politics until his retirement in 2005. He is also a member of the Roman Catholic religion.
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Early life and education
Ssemogerere was born in Kalangala District of Uganda. He attended St. Henry's College Kitovu for his high school. He received a Diploma in Education from the Makerere University in Kampala, subsequently he studied the Politics and Government Program at Allegheny College in Meadville, Pennsylvania. In 1979 he obtained a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree in Public Administration from Syracuse University in Syracuse, New York. Between 1957 and 1973 he taught at various colleges in Uganda. He is married to Germina Namatovu Ssemogerere, a Professor of Economics at Makerere University.
Political career
In 1961-1962 Ssemogerere was Elected Member of the Uganda Legislative Council and afterwards of the National Assembly of Uganda as MP for North Mengo Constituency. In 1972, he replaced Benedicto Kiwanuka as the leader of the Democratic Party.
Ssemogerere was the Presidential Candidate in the disputed 1980 General elections which were won by Milton Obote's Uganda People's Congress. Ssemogerere then became the leader of the parliamentary opposition from 1981-1985.
After Yoweri Museveni became president after his National Resistance Army had taken power after a civil war, Ssemogerere was consecutively Minister of Internal Affairs, Foreign Affairs and Public Service and at the same time held the post of Deputy Prime Minister in Museveni's National Resistance Movement government. He resigned from his government posts in 1996 because he was the Presidential Candidate for the mainstream opposition, but he lost the 1996 Presidential elections to Museveni.
Ssemogerere has also been a delegate to the Organisation for African Unity (OAU), and was Chairman of the OAU Council of Ministers from 1993 to 1994.
After his retirement from politics in November 2005, he was succeeded as party president by John Ssebaana Kizito, the Mayor of Kampala.
Personal details
He is married to Germina Namatovu Ssemogerere, a Professor of Economics at Makerere University. With him she has children like Grace Nabatanzi [1] married to Gerald Ssendaula, Karoli Ssemogerere a lawyer by profession based in USA and an Old student with Lt. Col. Muhoozi Kainerugaba Museveni from St. Mary's Kisubi, and two girls.
Political timeline
- 1961-1962 Parliamentary Secretary to Chief Minister Benedicto Kiwanuka
- 1963-1969 Publicity Secretary Democratic Party
- 1979-1981 Member National Consultative Council
- 1981-1985 Leader of the Official Opposition
- 1984-1994 Vice President Christian Democratic International
- 1985-1988 Minister of Internal Affairs
- 1988-1990 Chair OAU Council of Ministers
- 1988-1994 Second Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign and Regional Affairs
- 1994-1995 Second Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Public Service
- 1999 Brought the first of 5 landmark cases that outlawed the Movement System and set stage for return of Political Parties to Uganda.
- 2005 Retired as DP President to private business.
- 2011 Honored as Sabasaba 2011 by Sabasaba Flame Award, for being an all time pro-Democracy and peace politician
References
- Dr. Paul Kawanga Ssemogerere profile at Österreichs Bundesheer
2011 was Honored as Sabasaba 2011, for being an all time pro-Democracy and peace politician.
