Kampala, (UG):– Prof. Edward Kiddu Makubuya, a renowned Ugandan legal expert who served as Attorney General between 2005-2011 was Monday, August 19, pronounced dead after a decade-long battle with a chronic kidney disease.
At the age of 75, Makubuya breathed his last at Nakasero Hospital in Kampala on Sunday night according to family sources.
The former minister and MP for Katikamu South Constituency leaves behind a profound legacy of distinguished service, academic excellence and lasting contributions to Uganda’s legal community.
Kiddu Makubuya Full Bio
Born on July 30, 1949, Makubuya boasted a distinguished career in public service, serving as Uganda’s Minister of Justice and Attorney General from January 14, 2005, to May 27, 2011.
Makubuya held a First Class Honors Bachelor of Laws degree from Makerere University, which he obtained in 1974. He also held a Master of Laws degree and a Doctor of Juridical Science, both from Yale Law School and obtained in 1976 and 1979 respectively.
He joined the Law Development Center on his return to Uganda where he completed his Diploma in Legal Practice in 1982 and enrolled as an advocate of the Uganda High Court in 1985.
Political career
Makubuya joined politics in the late 1980s he was elected Member of Parliament for Katikamu South Constituency in 1996.
He was later appointed State Minister for Luweero Triangle in the Office of the President. In 1998 his office as Minister of State in charge of Luweero Triangle was transferred to the Office of the Prime Minister.
In the same year, he was appointed State Minister for Foreign Affairs (International Cooperation), a portfolio he held until April 5, 1999, when he was appointed Minister of Education and Sports.
He served as Uganda’s Justice Minister and Attorney General, from January 14, 2005, until May 27, 2011, when he assumed the position of Minister for General Duties in the Office of the Prime Minister.
The former minister and MP resigned from cabinet in February 2012 amid allegations of misappropriation of government funds.
Life outside politics
Makubuya worked as a special assistant at the faculty of law, at Makerere University, in 1974 and 1975. In 1979, he was promoted to lecturer at the same university, a position he held until 1982 when he became a senior lecturer.
In 1984, he was promoted to associate professor. He was also a partner in a private law firm, Kasolo & Khiddu Advocates.
Makubuya was a member of the Uganda Constitutional Commission, which was instrumental in drafting the 1995 Constitution of Uganda.
He was a member of the Commission of Inquiry into Violations of Human Rights. Between 1984 and 1987, he was the editor-in-chief of the Uganda Law Society Review.
He once headed the Department of Law and Jurisprudence at the faculty of law, at Makerere University, until 1995, when he was appointed director of the Uganda Human Rights and Peace Center.
Other Roles
Besides his professional experience, Makubuya served in a number of administrative capacities.
Between 1981 and 1982, he was an ex-officio member of the Uganda Law Council and the Management Committee of the Law Development Centre. He was a member of various committees at Makerere University, including the Senate.
The former minister’s areas of interest in research included jurisprudence, family law, international law, law and development, human rights of women, land law and land planning, development finance, refugee law, constitutional law, law and population, and gender and law.
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