Maka Kotto facts for kids

Maka Kotto was born on December 7, 1961. He is a politician from Canada, originally from Cameroon. He studied in France and then moved to Quebec, Canada. Before becoming a politician, he was a teacher. Maka Kotto was a member of the Parti Québécois. He represented the area of Bourget in the National Assembly of Quebec. From 2012 to 2014, he was the Minister of Culture and Communications. He also used to be a member of the House of Commons of Canada for the Bloc Québécois. Besides politics, Maka Kotto is an author and has acted in movies.

Maka Kotto's Early Life and Studies

Maka Kotto was born in Douala, Cameroon. He finished high school in France. He then studied law, politics, drama, and film in different cities in France. Maka Kotto moved to Quebec, Canada, in 2006.

Before Politics: Acting and Teaching

Before he became a politician, Maka Kotto worked as an author, actor, and director for plays. He appeared in the 1989 movie ... Without Getting Tired. This movie was based on a book. He also acted in another movie in 2000 called Lumumba. In that film, he played the role of Joseph Kasa-Vubu.

Maka Kotto also taught drama for almost 15 years. He taught in both France and Quebec.

Maka Kotto's Time in Federal Politics

Maka Kotto was elected to the House of Commons of Canada. He represented the Bloc Québécois party. This happened in the 2004 Canadian federal election. In that election, he won against the current member and five other people.

First Black Bloc MP

When he won the Saint-Lambert area, Maka Kotto became the first black Canadian Member of Parliament for the Bloc Québécois. He was elected again two years later in the 2006 Canadian federal election. He won his second term by defeating five other candidates.

During his time in federal politics, Maka Kotto was the Bloc Québécois's spokesperson for Canadian heritage topics.

Maka Kotto's Time in Quebec Politics

On November 12, 2007, Maka Kotto announced he would run for the Parti Québécois. He wanted to represent the area of Bourget in Montreal. This area had an open spot because the previous leader had left. This was his second try at provincial politics. He had lost in his first attempt in the Viau area.

Becoming a Quebec Minister

Maka Kotto left his seat in the House of Commons of Canada on March 5, 2008. He did this to run in the provincial election. On May 12, 2008, he won the Bourget election as a Parti Québécois candidate. He received 40% of the votes.

When the Parti Québécois won the election on September 4, 2012, Maka Kotto became the Minister of Culture and Communications.

He was re-elected in the 2014 Quebec election. However, the Parti Québécois government lost, and Maka Kotto became part of the Official Opposition. He was not re-elected in the 2018 election.

Maka Kotto's Family Life

Maka Kotto is married to Caroline St-Hilaire. She used to be the mayor of Longueuil and was also a member of the Bloc Québécois. They have four children together.

Maka Kotto's Books

• Kotto, Maka. Femme : libre exaltation poétique. Outremont, Québec: Lanctôt, 2002. This is a book of poetry.