Reuben Uatioa

Te Reuben Kiraua Uatioa (1924 – 1977) was a Gilbertese politician. After being elected to the House of Representatives in 1967, he became the first Chief Elected Member of the Gilbert and Ellice Islands colony and then Leader of Government Business, serving until unexpectedly losing his seat in 1974. He then served as Speaker of the House of Representatives until 1975.

Biography Uatioa was born on Onotoa in 1924. He established the Tungaru, a Gilbertese cultural movement, and in 1965 founded the Gilbertese National Party, an offshoot of the movement. After being re-elected to the reconstituted Legislative Council in 1971, Uatioa was elected the first Leader of Government Business. However, he surprisingly lost his seat in the 1974 elections, losing to union leader Abete Merang. Following the elections, he became Speaker of the House of Representatives, a role he held until resigning in 1975. In 1977 he was appointed Public Service Commissioner. While planning to contest the 1978 elections, he died later in 1977. The Reuben K. Uatioa Stadium was subsequently named for him.