CRISPUS WALTER KIYONGA: UGANDA'S PHYSICIAN, POLITICIAN, AND DIPLOMAT

Crispus Walter Kiyonga, born on January 1, 1952, is a Ugandan physician, politician and career diplomat from Kasese District in Western Uganda. He attended Bwera Primary School, Nyakasura School, and Kings College Budo for his primary and secondary education. Kiyonga studied medicine at Makerere University, graduating with a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBChB) in 1978. He later obtained a Master of Health Science (MHS) with a specialization in Population Dynamics from the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health in 2004 Political Career Kiyonga began his political career in 1980 when he participated as a candidate on the Uganda Patriotic Movement (UPM) platform during the first post-Idi Amin national elections in Uganda. He won his constituency, making him the only UPM candidate to win during those elections. He later joined the National Resistance Movement (NRM) during its struggle against the second Milton Obote regime from 1981 to 1986 From 1986, when the NRM assumed power in Uganda, until 2006, Kiyonga held several cabinet and non-cabinet posts in the Ugandan government: - 1986 - 1986: Minister for Cooperatives & Marketing - 1986 - 1992: Minister of Finance, credited with establishing the Uganda Revenue Authority - 1994 - 1996: Minister of Internal Affairs - 1996 - 2001: Minister of Health, credited with efficiently handling the Ebola outbreak in Gulu in 2000 and serving as Chairman of the Global Fund - 2001 - 2006: Minister without Portfolio in the Office of the President and National Political Commissar In 2006, Kiyonga was appointed as Minister of Defense, a position he held until 2016[1]. During his tenure, he continuously represented Bukonjo County West in the Ugandan Parliament from 1980 until 2016[1]. In 2016, he was appointed Uganda's Ambassador to China, based in Beijing Current Roles In August 2024, President Museveni appointed Crispus Kiyonga as the new Chancellor of Makerere University, Uganda's largest public university. He succeeds Prof. Ezra Suruma, who served as Chancellor from 2016 to 2023. Kiyonga currently serves as a Minister without Portfolio in the Office of the President.