Jeje Odongo
| Jeje Odongo | |
|---|---|
| Born |
9 July 1951 Uganda |
| Residence | Kampala, Uganda |
| Nationality | Ugandan |
| Ethnicity | Itesot |
| Citizenship | Uganda |
| Alma mater |
Nkumba University (MA in International Relations & Diplomacy) |
| Occupation | Politician & Military Officer |
| Years active | 1979 — present |
| Known for | Politics |
| Home town | Amuria |
| Religion | Muslim |
General Haji Abubaker Jeje Odongo is a Ugandan military officer and politician. He is the current State Minister for Defence in Uganda, a post he has served in since February 2009.[1]
History
Jeje Odongo was born in Amuria District, in the Teso sub-region, in Eastern Uganda. He entered the Ugandan army in 1979. He is one of the original twenty seven combatants who, together with Yoweri Museveni, attacked Kabamba Military Barracks, in February 1981 to start the Ugandan Bush War, a guerrilla war that lasted from February 1981 until April 1986. Jeje Odongo was captured soon after the first NRA operation and was imprisoned in Luzira Maximum Security Prison.[2]
In 1994, Jeje Odongo was one of the ten army officers who represented the Ugandan military in the Constituent Assembly that drafted the 1995 Ugandan Constitution. In 1996, he was selected to replace the late Colonel Sserwanga Lwanga, as the Political Commissar in the Uganda People's Defense Force (UPDF). Also in 1996, he contested the parliamentary seat for Amuria District in the Ugandan Parliament. He won and was appointed Uganda's Defence Minister, soon after he entered parliament.
In 1998, he resigned his parliamentary seat and his cabinet position and was appointed Commander of the Army of Uganda, taking over from Major General Mugisha Muntu. He served as army commander until 2001, when he was replaced by Major General James Kazini. In 2001, he was appointed Minister-without-Portfolio, a position he occupied until 2004. In 2004, now at the rank of Lieutenant General, Jeje Odongo was appointed State Minister for the Environment.[3]
Between 2001 and 2006, he was one of 10 senior UPDF officers who represented the Ugandan military in the 8th Ugandan Parliament.[4] In May 2008, Jeje Odongo graduated with the degree of Master of Arts in International Relations and Diplomacy from Nkumba University.[5] On 16 February 2009, he was promoted to General and appointed Minister of State for Defence, a position he still serves in today.[6]
See also
References
- ↑ Newvision, Archive (18 February 2009). "Full Cabinet List". New Vision. Retrieved 29 May 2014.
- ↑ Africa News Service, . (10 June 2002). "Jeje Odongo Reveals NRA Roots". Highbeam Business. Retrieved 29 May 2014.
- ↑ Grace Matsiko, and Geoffrey Kamali (11 February 2004). "Museveni Raised to A Full General". New Vision. Retrieved 29 May 2014.
- ↑ Newvision, Archive (17 February 2006). "UPDF Elects Its MPs". New Vision. Retrieved 29 May 2014.
- ↑ Newvision, Archive (2 May 2008). "Is Jeje Odongo Warming Up for Diplomacy?". New Vision. Retrieved 29 May 2014.
- ↑ ., . (27 May 2011). "Comprehensive List of New Cabinet Appointments & Dropped Ministers". Facebook.com. Retrieved 29 May 2014.
External links
| Military offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Major General Mugisha Muntu |
Commander of Uganda People's Defence Force 1998 - 2001 |
Succeeded by Major General James Kazini |