Gilbert Bukenya

Gilbert Balibaseka Bukenya (born 5 August 1949) is a Ugandan politician and physician who was the 7th vice president of Uganda from 23 May 2003 until 23 May 2011. He has represented the constituency of Busiro County North in the Ugandan Parliament since 1996 to 2016. In February 2024, President Yoweri Museveni appointed him as the senior presidential Advisor on environment and sanitation. His autobiography, Intricate Corridors to Power, was published in 2008.

Early life and education Gilbert Bukenya was born on 5 August 1949, in the village of Lwantama in Kakiri sub-county, in Busiro County, in present-day Wakiso District, about , by road, northwest of Kampala, Uganda's capital and largest city.

Career Gilbert Bukenya returned to Uganda as a Professor of Medicine and was appointed dean of Makerere University School of Medicine, a position he held from 1994 until 1996. In 1996 he entered politics and was elected Member of Parliament (MP) for Busiro North constituency. He also served as chairman of the National Resistance Movement (NRM) parliamentary caucus. During this period he is credited for having managed to defuse the tension that was boiling up between President Yoweri Museveni and other historical leaders of the ruling NRM. He was chairman of the NRM in the Buganda region. Bukenya subsequently became Minister of State for Trade and Industry before being elevated to the post of Minister of the Presidency. He became Vice President in 2003 replacing Specioza Kazibwe, who at the time was grappling with a failed marriage. He later stood for the post of Secretary General of the NRM and lost to Amama Mbabazi.

Personal life Gilbert is married to Doctor Margaret Bukenya, a classmate at Makerere Medical School in the early 1970s. He is a member of the Catholic Church. In 2005, Bukenya surprised political watchers when he alleged that the government was being controlled by a mafia clique. In an interview with the Daily Monitor, he said that the mafia was plotting his downfall. This was attributed to his ever-increasing popularity and his closeness to the powerful Catholic Church in Uganda. He is reported to enjoy swimming and farming. He is credited with the introduction of the cultivation of upland rice, also known as NERICA in Uganda.

Published works