Benjamin Katana
Benjamin Katana is a Ugandan advocate[1] and National Treasurer of the National Unity Platform (NUP) Political Party[2], headed by Bobi Wine.
Katana was part of the Bobi Wine legal team that challenged President Yoweri Museveni’s election victory after the January 2021 General elections in Uganda[3]. He has previously served as Spokesperson of Uganda's Ministry of Internal Affairs[4]. Before being appointed Spokesperson, Katana had served as an Immigration Lawyer in the Directorate of Citizenship and Immigration Control under the Ministry of Internal Affairs for seven years.
He was the Legal Advisor to the Minister for Internal Affairs on Immigration and Citizenship affairs for three years and was a member of the Government Refugee Eligibility Committee for five years.
Biography
Katana was born in Kizooba Sub-county, Igara County, Bushenyi District, western Uganda. Orphaned at an early age, Katana was raised by a single mother with the support of family and friends like the late Prof Adonia Tiberondwa [5], a founding member of Uganda's Uganda People's Congress political party and Maj Gen James Kazini.
He went to Bweranyangi Junior School, a Church of Uganda founded school, for seven years before joining Mbarara High School for his Ordinary level education in 1999.
At Mbarara High School, he got his first experience with student leadership, serving as the Deputy Speaker of the School Council.
He later joined Ntare School for two years and also served as Speaker of the School Council there. He studied Economics and Literature among other subjects.
Katana later enrolled for graduate studies at Kampala International University (KIU) after successfully competing for a scholarship.
He had been admitted at Makerere University Law School but opted to study at KIU because of the scholarship. He completed his graduate studies in 2009.
Career
At KIU, his interest in national politics was aroused when he became Guild President. The position made him interact with students from across the East African region.
He contested for President UNSA and narrowly lost in a hotly contested race to Dennis Namara, Uganda's current representative to EALA. Benjamin also served as District Youth Chairman Bushenyi in the National Youth Council.
In 2008, Katana was part of a students' study group that did voluntary work in the Republic of South Sudan after signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement.
He would later begin work with the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Katana was deployed in the legal department of the Ministry; he did mostly legal advisory work besides writing reports and legal opinions on citizenship verification, prosecution of immigration offenders and enforcement.[6][7]
Benjamin was part of the team that delivered the National ID project where he served as Manager Research and Analysis and key trainer on Citizenship Verification.
Politics
Capitalizing on his experience in student leadership, Katana has attempted to hold political office.
In 2017, he contested for the post of Member of Parliament but lost the election.[8]
He was part of a group of Uganda's ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) party supporters who broke ranks with the leadership of the Presidential Age Limit debate. They formed Keep Age Limit in the Constitution (KALOC).[9]
After the Age Limit was stripped from the Ugandan Constitution in 2018, Katana joined a group of individuals in support of Bobi Wine who was among those opposed to lifting the age restriction from the Ugandan Constitution.[10]
Towards the January 2021 General elections in Uganda, Katana became an active member of the People Power Movement started by Bobi Wine.[11] The group later became the National Unity Platform (NUP) party where Katana now serves as National Treasurer.
He also represents the party in court and has been part of the legal team representing incarcerated party supporters.[12][13][14]
In February 2021, he was part of the legal team that challenged the election of President Yoweri Museveni.[15]
Personal Life
Katana is married to Janet Kantalama and together they have four children, including a set of twins.
References
- ↑ Katusiime, Ian (2022-03-07). "MP Zaake versus Deputy Speaker". The Independent Uganda. Retrieved 2022-07-16.
- ↑ "36 Jailed NUP Supporters Seek Bail from High Court". Uganda Radionetwork. Retrieved 2022-07-16.
- ↑ "Museveni declared winner of disputed Uganda presidential election". www.aljazeera.com. Retrieved 2021-09-24.
- ↑ "Internal Affairs Constructs Holding Cell for Illegal Immigrants". Uganda Radionetwork. Retrieved 2021-09-24.
- ↑ "Prof. Tiberondwa is dead". New Vision. Retrieved 2021-09-24.
- ↑ "Internal Affairs Constructs Holding Cell for Illegal Immigrants". Uganda Radionetwork. Retrieved 2021-10-26.
- ↑ "35 illegal immigrants arrested". New Vision. Retrieved 2021-10-26.
- ↑ "I WILL BE STRONG VOICE FOR IGARA EAST-BENJAMIN KATANA". MK Newslink. 2017-10-13. Retrieved 2021-10-26.
- ↑ Mulengera. "UNMASKING LAWYER BENJAMIN KATANA: THE INTROVERTED YET VERY POWERFUL FIGURE IN KYAGULANYI'S NUP PARTY – mulengeranews.com". Retrieved 2021-09-24.
- ↑ "Uganda: Bobi Wine objects to lifting of presidential age limit". www.aljazeera.com. Retrieved 2021-09-24.
- ↑ "How Bobi Wine navigated People Power, DP block interests to set up Parliament leadership". Daily Monitor. 2021-06-12. Retrieved 2021-09-24.
- ↑ Reporter, Independent (2021-03-01). "36 jailed NUP supporters seek bail from high court". The Independent Uganda. Retrieved 2021-09-24.
- ↑ "Bobi Wine's lonely walk as election day in Uganda nears". The Citizen. 2021-01-10. Retrieved 2021-09-24.
- ↑ "Ssegirinya remanded in custody". Daily Monitor. 2020-11-23. Retrieved 2021-09-24.
- ↑ Personal Life https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/news/national/court-to-decide-on-bobi-s-additional-affidavits-today-3296776 Personal Life Check
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