Duma Boko facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Duma Boko
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Boko in 2020
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| 6th President of Botswana | |
| Assumed office 1 November 2024 |
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| Vice President | Ndaba Gaolathe |
| Preceded by | Mokgweetsi Masisi |
| President of the Umbrella for Democratic Change | |
| Assumed office November 2012 |
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| Vice President | Ndaba Gaolathe |
| Preceded by | Office established |
| Leader of the Opposition | |
| In office 25 October 2014 – 28 August 2019 |
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| President |
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| Preceded by | Dumelang Saleshando |
| Succeeded by | Dumelang Saleshando |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1 January 1970 Mahalapye, Botswana |
| Political party | Botswana National Front |
| Other political affiliations |
Umbrella for Democratic Change |
| Spouse | Kaone Boko |
| Alma mater | University of Botswana (LLB) Harvard Law School (LLM) |
| Profession |
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Duma Gideon Boko (born 1 January 1970) is a Motswana politician and lawyer who is currently serving as the sixth president of Botswana since 1 November 2024 and as leader of the Umbrella for Democratic Change since 2012. He served as the leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly from 2014 to 2019.
Duma Boko attained the presidency of the BNF in 2010. He led the creation of the Umbrella for Democratic Change, an alliance of the main opposition parties in Botswana. He ran as the alliance's president in Botswana's general elections in 2014 and 2019. At the 2024 election, he led his party to victory and was sworn in as President of Botswana on 1 November 2024.
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Early life
Boko's father worked as a lecturer at Madiba Brigades. He died in 2004. Duma has a sister, Emma Boko.
In 1987, Boko studied law at University of Botswana (UB). He was elected to the Student Representative Council (SRC). Among his law classmates were High Court judges Michael Leburu, Key Dingake, Bengbame Sechele and Lot Moroka. After graduating in 1993, he attended Harvard Law School, where he obtained a Master of Laws degree.
Career
Boko returned to teach law at University of Botswana from 1993 to 2003, while also running a law firm. In the early 2000s, he wrote a column in the newspaper The Monitor in which he claimed that judges were not intellectually progressive. He expressed frustration that academics and judges were not doing enough research to make informed judgements.
Politics
Boko became the leader of the Botswana National Front (BNF) in 2010. His position and party membership was challenged on the grounds that when the BNF split in 2000, he had become a founding member of the National Democratic Front (NDF). If proven, this would, according to the BNF constitution, disqualify him from a leadership position in the party for three years after rejoining it. He prevailed in court. He inherited a party that was in decline under the leadership of Otsweletse Moupo.
The BNF came together with the newly formed Botswana Movement for Democracy (BMD), a splinter of the Botswana Democratic Party, and the Botswana Peoples Party to form the Umbrella for Democratic Change. Some BNF members were strongly against the coalition, arguing that the exercise would make their party disappear. Lawsuits against Boko and his central committee were filed before the High Court. Boko and the BNF won all the court challenges.
2014 general election
In the 2014 general election, Duma Boko led the UDC to a second-place finish in the National Assembly, winning 17 seats to the Botswana Democratic Party's (BDP) 37. Boko became the leader of the Opposition.
2019 general election
In the 2019 general election, Boko was defeated by Anna Mokgethi of the BDP in the Gaborone Bonnington North constituency. As a result of his defeat, he lost his title of Leader of the Opposition in the 12th National Assembly.
2024 general election
Despite both the Botswana Congress Party and Botswana Patriotic Front leaving the UDC, Boko's party, and the opposition as a whole, were able to take a majority of seats in the elections, thus making him the president-elect. He was sworn into office on November 1.
Presidency
As president, Boko stated his intention to granting temporary work and residence permits to undocumented Zimbabweans and renegotiate economic agreements with De Beers regarding Botswana's diamond industry. ..... He also announced engagements with Elon Musk to extend affordable internet access nationwide through Starlink.
See also
In Spanish: Duma Boko para niños
