University Chancellor
Duma Gideon Boko
His Excellency was born on 31st December 1969 at Serowe in the Central District of Botswana.
chancellor initiatives
President, Advocate Duma Gideon Boko is the sixth President ofThe Republic of Botswana, and the first individual to have ascended to the highest office in the land from the opposition ranks since the country’s independence in 1966. This epic event of President Boko’s victory speaks not of solitary effort by him, but rather of his tenacity, strategic and tactical adeptness in issuebased political discourse and mobilisation, that aligned with the spirit, collective desire and persistence of Batswana to pursue social change without losing hope in democratic values and the power of the ballot. His education and experience as a transformative politician, with a strong background in law, human rights, and social democracy, combined to project him as empathetic, belonging with the people, and sensitive to their struggles and quest for social justice.
President Advocate Boko obtained a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) degree from the University of Botswana in 1993 and furthered his education at the Harvard Law School, where he graduated with a Master of Laws (LLM) in 1995, and subsequently became a legal academic at the University of Botswana. A Human Rights Champion at the African Commission on Human and People’s Rights, President Boko holds a Post-Graduate Diploma in Human Rights and Humanitarian Law, acquired in 1997 from Lund University in Sweden.
He has had a distinguished career as an attorney and advocate, contributing significantly to Botswana’s jurisprudence and fighting
for the rights of indigenous people, women, and children. He taught law at the University of Botswana (1995—2003), raising a generation of intelligent, creative, and principled attorneys. He has published a wide array of scholarly journal articles on human rights and social justice.
Furthermore, President Boko has played a pivotal role in various legal and policy reforms, including consulting on the revision of the Botswana Children’s Act and chairing key organisations like the Law Society of Botswana and the Botswana Network on Ethics, Law and HIV/AIDS (BONELA). His international work includes serving as an observer for the International Bar Association and advocating for human rights in Zimbabwe
His leadership has extended beyond law, serving as the President of the Botswana National Front (BNF), later leading the coalition of opposition parties, namely, the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC), that he co-founded in 2012. He became a member of parliament and Leader of Opposition between 2014 and 2019, before finally being elected President of the Republic of Botswana at the thirteenth General Elections in 2024.
In February 2025, at the African Union summit, President Advocate Duma Boko was appointed the Chairperson of the African Leaders Malaria Alliance (ALMA).
President Boko’s journey, which began in his home village of Mahalapye, where he did his Primary and Secondary school reflects his deep commitment to serving Batswana and promoting the upholding of a human rights consciousness and culture in them, as well as fostering adherence to constitutional rights, guarantees and protection for citizens and residents of the Republic of Botswana.