Edward Rugumayo

Edward Rugumayo
Edward Rugumayo
Born	18 December 1934 (age 89); University Chancellor; Kampala University and Mountains of the Moon University

Edward Bitanywaine Rugumayo (born 18 December 1934) is a Ugandan politician, diplomat, author, academic and environmentalist. He has previously served as cabinet minister in three Ugandan administrations. From 1979 until 1980, Rugumayo served as the Chairman of the Uganda Legislative Council. He currently serves as the

botanist and a community leader.^[1]

History

Rugumayo was born in Kyenjojo District, then known as Mwenge County, on 18 December 1934.

Education

He attended Mukole Primary School in Kyenjojo District from P1 to P4. He then attended Galihuma Primary School from P5 to P6. For S1 to S3, he attended Kabarole Junior Secondary School, and for S4 to S6, he attended

Chester College, then a constituent college of the University of Liverpool. He then studied at the University of London, where he graduated with the degree of Bachelor of Science in Botany and Ecology.^[2]

Political career

When Rugumayo returned to Uganda in 1966, he taught briefly at Kyambogo before joining

Minister of Foreign Affairs. In February 1973, one year and eight months on the job, Rugumayo resigned from Amin's cabinet; the first member of the cabinet to resign. He went into exile in Nairobi, Kenya

and Lusaka, Zambia, staying there until 1979, when Amin's regime was toppled.

After the

Uganda National Liberation Army (UNLA) and the Uganda National Liberation Front (UNLF) captured power in Kampala, with the assistance of the Tanzania People's Defence Force (TPDF), Rugumayo was appointed chairman of the National Consultative Council (NCC), the parliament of the time. Rugumayo was instrumental in removing Yusuf Lule from power, when Lule disagreed with the NCC on procedural protocol when making cabinet appointments. Lule was replaced by Godfrey Binaisa. In May 1980, while Rugumayo was in Arusha, Tanzania, the Binaisa administration was also deposed in another coup d'état. This time Rugumayo stayed in exile until 1992. That year, he returned to Uganda and joined the National Resistance Movement administration of Yoweri Museveni.^[3]

Academic and political appointments

He has formerly held the following positions in the Ugandan Government, International Organizations and Universities:[4]

As Senior Science Inspector of Schools, while teaching at the Institute of Teacher Education, Kyambogo; now part of Kyambogo University, from 1968 until 11969.
As Warden of Mitchell Hall, and lecturer, Department of Education, Makerere University, from 1970 until 1971.
As Minister of Education from June 1971 until February 1973 under Idi Amin
As Senior Lecturer, then Associate Professor and then Dean, School of Education at the University of Zambia, between 1973 and 1979
As Chairman of the National Consultative Council from April 1979 until May 1980
As Senior Consultant on Environmental Education; Training and Project Design for
UNDP, UNESCO, World Bank and other NGOs based in Nairobi
.

As Visiting Professor of Environment at
Oklahoma State University and Moscow State University

As Chairperson of a 12-person team of consultants hired to establish the School of Environmental Studies at Moi University in Kenya, in 1989.
As Visiting UNDP/UNEP Professor of Environment at Moi University.
As Senior Programme Coordinator of Environment Liaison Centre International, a global coalition of environment NGOs based in Nairobi, from June 1992 until May 1995.
As Chief Technical Advisor on Environment to with the
Government of Lesotho, from July 1995 to July 1996, assigned by the United Nations Development Programme
(UNDP).