Duma Boko

About

Duma Gideon Boko (born 31 December 1969) is a Motswana politician and lawyer who is currently serving as the sixth President of Botswana since 1 November 2024 and as President of the Umbrella for Democratic Change since 2012. He served as Leader of the Opposition from 2014 to 2019.
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. He is the first, and so far the only president in Botswana’s history not to belong to the Botswana Democratic Party. Boko is considered a social democrat.

== Early life ==
Boko was born in Botswana’s Central District, in the village of Mahalapye. His father, who died in 2004, worked as a lecturer at Madiba Brigades. He has a sister, Emma Boko.
In 1987, Boko studied law at the University of Botswana. He was elected to the Student Representative Council (SRC). Among his law classmates were High Court judges Michael Leburu, Key Dingake, Bengbame Sechele…