*CANCELLED* Presidential Visit: His Excellencey Duma Gideon Boko

Please note this event has been cancelled.

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Advocate Duma Gideon Boko was sworn in as the sixth President of the Republic of Botswana, following the 2024 General Elections, which ushered in the Umbrella Democratic Change (UDC) party’s historic victory.

Before his assumption of the Presidency, Advocate Boko held key national leadership positions, including serving as the Leader of Opposition and Member of Parliament for the Gaborone Bonnington North Constituency (2014-2019). In addition to his extensive political experience and contributions towards democracy and nation-building, President Boko is a seasoned international, human rights, constitutional, and family law expert. His legal work spans over twenty-five years, where he’s championed human rights and been a staunch advocate for social justice and the rule of law. In this capacity, he’s practiced as an
Attorney with the Courts of Botswana, and also privately, at his law firm, Duma Boko and Co, where, as Senior Partner, he was instrumental in providing strategic leadership for the Practice, as well as advocating for access to justice for all Batswana, particularly the marginalized communities.

President Boko’s legal work also covers academia, where for over eight years, he taught law at the University of Botswana and contributed to the training and equipping of Botswana’s future lawyers. His contributions to the legal profession in Botswana are further encompassed in his scholarship and published works on various issues, including human rights law and gender and development. Moreover, through his policy and legislative advisory role, President Boko has contributed to Botswana’s national agenda on children’s rights, including the development of the Children’s Act No. 8 of 2009. He has also served with key national bodies, and in this regard, held different portfolios such as Chairperson of the Law Society of Botswana (LSB) and Board Chairperson of the Botswana Network on Ethics, Law and HIV/AIDS (BONELA).

On the global platform, President Boko has, among others, promoted international justice issues through his role as an Observer for the International Bar Association (IBA) and as Leader of the Delegation for the Open Society Initiative of Southern Africa, which addressed human rights violations affecting legal practitioners and human rights defenders. He has also gained recognition internationally for his work in human rights and diplomacy. Most recently, in June 2025, he was conferred with an honorary black belt by the International Judo Federation (IJF), for his service in promoting Sports Diplomacy. President Boko is a graduate of Harvard University, where he obtained his Master of Laws (LLM) Degree (1995), and the University of Botswana, where he attained his Bachelor of Laws (LLB) Degree (1993). He also holds a Diploma in Human Rights and Humanitarian Law (1997) from Lund University.