Ian Khama Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids His Excellency Ian Khama
Khama in 2014

4th President of Botswana
In office 1 April 2008 – 1 April 2018
Vice President	Mompati Merafhe (2008–2012) Ponatshego Kedikilwe (2012–2014) Mokgweetsi Masisi (2014–2018)
Preceded by	Festus Mogae
Succeeded by	Mokgweetsi Masisi
5th Vice-President of Botswana
In office 13 July 1998 – 1 April 2008
President	Festus Mogae
Preceded by	Festus Mogae
Succeeded by	Mompati Merafhe

Personal details
Born	Ian Seretse Khama (1953-02-27) 27 February 1953 (age 72) Ewell, Surrey, England
Political party	Botswana Patriotic Front (since 2019)
Other political affiliations	Botswana Democratic Party (until 2019)
Parents	Seretse Khama (father) Ruth Williams (mother)
Relatives	Tshekedi Khama II (brother)
Alma mater	Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
Military service
Allegiance	Botswana
Years of service	1977–1998
Rank	Lieutenant General
Commands	Botswana Defence Force

Seretse Khama Ian Khama (born 27 February 1953) is a politician from Botswana. He was the fourth President of Botswana from 2008 to 2018. Before becoming president, he was a military officer. He served as the Commander of the Botswana Defence Force. Later, he became Vice-President of Botswana from 1998 to 2008. He took over as President from Festus Mogae in 2008. He won full terms in the 2009 and 2014 elections.

Early Life and Family
Education and Military Career
Political Journey
Presidency
Political Views and Actions
Retirement and Later Life
Honours and Awards
- Honours
See also

Early Life and Family

Ian Khama is the second son of Sir Seretse Khama and Lady Khama. His father was Botswana's first president, serving from 1966 to 1980. Ian was born in Chertsey, Surrey, England. At that time, his father was living in exile in the United Kingdom. This was because of opposition to his marriage to a white woman.

Ian Khama is also the grandson of Sekgoma II. Sekgoma II was a paramount chief of the Bamangwato people. His great-grandfather was Khama III, who was a king of the Bamangwato. The name "Seretse" means "the clay that binds together." It was given to his father to celebrate a family reconciliation. Ian Seretse Khama was named after his father to continue this important family history. His brother, Tshekedi Khama II, was named after their great-uncle.

Education and Military Career

Ian Khama went to school at Waterford Kamhlaba in Mbabane. He also studied at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in England. He is a trained pilot. In 1977, at age 24, Khama became a brigadier general. This made him the Deputy Commander of the Botswana Defence Force (BDF).

He later became the Commander of the BDF in 1989. He retired from this role in 1998. During his time in the military, Khama received several honors. These included the Founder Officer Medal and the Duty Code Order. He also received the Distinguished Service Medal in 1997.

Political Journey

Khama during a state visit to Chile in 2017

Ian Khama announced his retirement from the military in 1997. This was around the same time President Quett Masire was planning to retire. On 1 April 1998, Festus Mogae became president. Khama was then appointed as the new Vice-President. He won a special election in Serowe North to get a seat in the National Assembly of Botswana. On 13 July, he became Vice-President. By taking this political role, he stepped away from his traditional role as a hereditary chief. However, many Bamangwato people still saw him as their chief.

After the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) won the 1999 election, Khama remained Vice-President. He also served as Minister of Presidential Affairs. In 2003, he was elected Chairman of the BDP. President Mogae supported him for this position. This helped prepare Khama to become president later on.

Presidency

Becoming President (2008–2009)

President Mogae stepped down on 1 April 2008, as he had planned. Ian Khama then became the President of Botswana. At his swearing-in ceremony, Khama said he would continue existing policies. He also mentioned that he would bring a new style and focus to certain issues. He stressed his strong belief in democracy. He appointed Mompati Merafhe as the new Vice-President. When he became president, Khama left his role as Chairman of the BDP.

First Term (2009–2014)

In the 2009 Botswana general election, Khama was elected for his first full term as president. His election campaign faced some challenges within his own party. Despite this, Khama won with 53.26% of the votes. His party also won a majority of seats in the National Assembly.

During his first term, Khama introduced a ban on elephant hunting in 2014. This was part of his efforts to protect wildlife.

Second Term (2014–2018)

In the 2014 Botswana general election, Khama won his second term as president. His party received 46.45% of the votes. They also secured a majority of seats in the National Assembly.

In 2015, Khama received an honorary doctorate in political science. This was from Konkuk University in South Korea. After this, his official title included "Dr."

Political Views and Actions

Khama took a strong stand against the government of Zimbabwe, especially its leader Robert Mugabe. He refused to recognize their government unless it included members of the opposition party. Khama also spoke out against other governments in Africa that he saw as unfair.

He supported efforts to protect wildlife in Botswana. He banned elephant hunting during his presidency. In 2018, he criticized President Donald Trump for encouraging elephant hunting.

Khama also believed in moving Botswana's economy away from relying too much on diamonds. He wanted to grow other areas like agriculture and tourism.

He took a strong stance on North Korea's human rights issues. In 2014, Botswana cut ties with North Korea. Khama described the human rights problems there as very serious. He criticized North Korea's leaders for their actions.

Retirement and Later Life

On 1 April 2018, Mokgweetsi Masisi became the 5th President of Botswana. He succeeded Ian Khama after Khama's ten years in office. After some disagreements with Masisi, Khama left the BDP. He then joined a new party called the Botswana Patriotic Front (BPF). He campaigned for the BPF, which won three seats in the 2019 elections.

In 2018, after leaving the presidency, Khama joined the Board of Directors of Conservation International. This is a US-based organization that works on conservation. In 2021, Khama went into self-imposed exile. He returned to Botswana on 13 September 2024 to appear in court.

On 30 November 2024, Ian Khama resumed his traditional role as Kgosikgolo (paramount chief) of the BaNgwato people. He took the regal name Khama IV. A ceremony was held in Serowe to welcome him.