Edward Ssekandi

Edward Kiwanuka Ssekandi (born 19 January 1943) is a Ugandan lawyer and politician who has been Vice President of Uganda since 24 May 2011.^[1] Prior to that, he served as the Speaker of Parliament of Uganda from 2001 until 2011.^[2] He is also the current Member of Parliament, representing "Bukoto County Central", a constituency he has continuously represented since 1996.

Life and career

Ssekandi was born in Masaka District on 19 January 1943. He graduated with honors from the University of East Africa with the degree of Bachelor of Laws (LLB). He also holds the Diploma in Legal Practice from the Law Development Center in Kampala, Uganda's capital and largest city.

From 1973 until 1978, he served as a lecturer at the Uganda Law Development Center. Between 1978 and 1979, he served as the Acting Director of the Law Development Center. He was the lead counsel on the Commission of Inquiry into Violations of Human Rights, between 1986 and 1993. He was a delegate to the Constitutional Assembly, which drafted the 1995 Ugandan constitution from 1994 until 1995.

In 1996, Edward Ssekandi was elected to the Ugandan Parliament, to represent Bukoto County Central, in Masaka District, a position he was re-elected to in 2001 and 2006. He served as Deputy Speaker of the Ugandan Parliament between 1996 and 2001. He was elected to the position of Speaker in 2001, a position he held until 2011. He was replaced as Speaker by Rebecca Kadaga, the first female Speaker of Parliament in Uganda's history, on 19 May 2011.^[3]

Personal details

He is married. He belongs to the National Resistance Movement political party. He is reported to be a sports enthusiast.^[4]

See also

• Parliament of Uganda
• List of Speakers of the Parliament of Uganda

References