| Jeje Odongo | |
|---|---|
| Born | 9 July 1951 Uganda |
| Residence | Kampala, Uganda |
| Nationality | Ugandan |
| Ethnicity | Itesot |
| Citizenship | Uganda |
| Education | Master of Arts in International Relations & Diplomacy (MA) Nkumba University, Entebbe, Uganda |
| Occupation | Politician |
| Years active | 1979 — present |
| Known for | Politics |
| Home town | Amuria |
| Religion | Muslim |
General Haji Abubaker Jeje Odongo is a Ugandan military officer and politician. He is the current State Minister for Defence in Uganda, a post he has served in since February 2009.[1]
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Jeje Odongo was born in Amuria District, in the Teso sub-region, in eastern Uganda. He entered the Ugandan army in 1979. He is one of the original twenty seven (27) combatants who, together with Yoweri Museveni, attacked Kabamba Military Barracks, in February 1981 to start the National Resistance Army (NRA) guerrilla war that lasted from February 1981 until April 1986. Jeje Odongo was captured soon after the first NRA operation and was imprisoned in Luzira Maximum Security Prison.[2]
In 1994, Jeje Odongo is one of the ten army officers who represented the Ugandan military in the Constituent Assembly that drafted the 1995 Ugandan Constitution. In 1996, he was selected to replace the late Colonel Sserwanga Lwanga, as the Political Commissar in the Uganda People's Defense Force (UPDF). Also in 1996, he contested the parliamentary seat for Amuria District in the Ugandan Parliament. He won and was appointed Uganda's Defence Minister, soon after he entered parliament.
In 1998, he resigned his parliamentary seat and his cabinet position and was appointed Commander of the Army of Uganda, taking over from Major General Mugisha Muntu. He served as army commander until 2001, when he was replaced by Major General James Kazini. In 2001, he was appointed Minister-without-Portfolio, a position he occupied until 2004. In 2004, now at the rank of Lieutenant General, Jeje Odongo was appointed State Minister for the Environment.[3] Between 2001 and 2006, he was one of 10 senior UPDF officers who represented the Ugandan military in the 8th Ugandan Parliament.[4]
In May 2008, Jeje Odongo graduated with the degree of Master of Arts in International Relations and Diplomacy from Nkumba University.[5] On 16 February 2009, he was appointed Minister of State for Defence (and promoted to General), a position he still serves in today.[6][7]
| Military offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Major General Mugisha Muntu |
Commander of Uganda People's Defence Force 1998 - 2001 |
Succeeded by Major General James Kazini |