Who is Fred Mukasa Mbidde?: Flash Uganda Media looks at his biography, age, family, wife, tribe, Anti-Homosexuality Bill, work and experience, political career, early life and education of the current elected member of the 3rd East African Legislative (EALA), representing Uganda.
Fred Mukasa Mbidde is a Ugandan lawyer, politician, human rights activist, mass communication specialist, motivational speaker, businessman and philanthropist.
Mbidde is a representative of the Republic of Uganda as an elected member of the 3rd East African Legislative Assembly (EALA).
He is the founder and a Partner at Mbidde & Co Advocates and the Chairman of Elsie Hotels.
Mbidde is well-known for using technical jargon in his speeches and social media posts about national political and entertainment issues.
Early Life
Fred Mukasa Mbidde was born on 15 October 1973 in Masaka District to the late Emmanuel Mbidde, a former headmaster and Ms Mary Kintu, a retired teacher.
His father had many women and children, for this reason, Mbidde grew up with his mother and could only visit him during holidays.
Mbidde started working during his senior four holidays as a newspaper vendor and a year later, he had accumulated a good amount of money.
Hon Mbidde in the 1990s as well attended some military training and participated significantly in the 1994 Rwandan Liberation War.
He fought along with the Rwandan Patriotic Army (RPA) in 1999 before joining Makerere University.
Education Background
Mukasa Mbidde attended Nakyenyi Primary School in Lwengo District before it was curbed out of Masaka District, a school where his mother taught, for his primary education.
After he joined Kabwoko High School for his O Level school education, then later Masuliita Boarding School and Kampala High School from where he completed his level education.
After secondary school, Mbidde was admitted to Makerere University in 1999 where he graduated with a Degree in Communication in the year 2003.
He first gained prominence on April 23, 2001, when he was declared as the Guild President for Makerere University. He was preceded by Asuman Basalirwa and succeeded by Denis Okema.
Following his Mass-Communication Bachelor’s degree, Mbidde proceeded with school and in 2009 he attained a Bachelor’s degree in Law (LLB).
Education background summary
| Years | Institution | Award |
| Nakyenyi Primary School | PLE | |
| Kabwoko High School | UCE | |
| Kampala High School | UACE | |
| 1999 – 2003 | Makerere University | Bachelor of Mass-communication, Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication degree |
| 2004 – 2008 | Makerere University | Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.), Banking, Corporate, Finance, and Securities Law degree |
Other academic accomplishments
The Law Development Centre (LDC) Kampala awarded Mbidde a postgraduate Diploma in Legal Practice in 2010.
In 2005, he took additional leadership training at the Norwegian School of Leadership and Theology (HLT).
And, in 2014, Mbidde also took part in legal Practice in Sub-regional Courts at the Mandela Institute, University of the Witwatersrand.
In 2023, Mukasa Mbidde graduated with a Doctorate Degree from Zoe Life Theological College in the USA.
Family Background
Mukasa Mbidde was born to the late Emmanuel and Mary Mbidde of Nakyenyi village in Masaka District.
His parents were both teachers, but after the death of his father in 1990, Mbidde’s mother retired from teaching and went into trading.
He is a Muganda by tribe, belongs to the Ente clan and was raised in a Christian home.
Mbidde is the firstborn in a family of nine of whom five are girls.
He is the second-born child of his mother and some of his siblings include; Henry Mbidde and Balaam Mbidde who are lecturers at Makerere University.
Marriage / Relationship
Fred Mukasa Mbidde was married to Susan Namaganda the former Woman MP for Bukomansimbi District, with whom he had three children including Gabrielle Mbidde and Suzan Naava
Namaganda passed away soon after a horrific car crash that occurred in 2015 in Mpigi on the Masaka Highway.
In 2019, Mukasa Mbidde and his lover Phiona Akantonnah Nayebale, a Mukiga held a traditional marriage ceremony called a Gusaba.
His other lover Jemima Juuko is said to have gotten an acute heart attack when she learned about Mbidde’s introduction.
It is reported that Jemima, based in the US, had been in a romantic relationship with Hon. Mbidde for the past three years while sponsoring his lavish lifestyle, fueling his rides, and renovating his Makindye home.
Hon. Fred Mukasa Mbidde was introduced on Wednesday 26th April 2023 by his fiancée Phiona Akantonnah to her parents in Luwero district.
Career and Professional Work Experience
Mukasa Mbidde has been in practice since 2011 and is a member of the Uganda Law Society (ULS) and the East African Law Society (EALS).
Mbidde is a visiting lecturer at Soka University, Chiba University and Kyoritsu Women’s University in Japan.
He is a consultant for the Kenya Human Rights Commission in Freedom of Movement specializing in the law of Treaties, Corporate Financing, Mergers and Acquisitions, Conveyancing and Trademarks.
Mbidde runs a private law firm in the name of Mbidde & C Advocates and is the patron of Mbidde Foundation a legal-based NGO with headquarters in Nagoya, Japan.
Mbidde has also been the brain behind most cases filed by DP because he’s the Chief Legal Advisor of the party.
Besides his career, Mbidde is a businessman running businesses like a Forex Bureau since 1999 till date and a Radio Station based in Rwanda.
He closed down the Financial Times Newspaper one of his ventures (1999-2000) because Ugandans were not interested in reading economic literature.
Work experience summary
| Years | Institution | Position |
| 1999 – Present | Forex Bureau | Businessman |
| 2011 – Present | Mbidde & Co Advocates | Partner |
Political Career
In 1999, Fred Mukasa Mbidde entered politics as a member of the Uganda Young Democrats (UYD), the Democratic Party’s (DP) junior wing.
Mbidde, who was a Makerere University student at the time, held the positions of secretary for students’ affairs and deputy treasurer for the party.
Mbidde assumed the role of National UYD Vice President in 2005 following his tenure as guild president at Makerere. In 2006, he was appointed National Deputy Campaigning Director for the senior wing of the Democratic Party, deputizing Norbert Mao, who is presently the DP president.
Mbidde ran for parliamentary by-elections in 2007 for Kalungu East County, Masaka District, which later became Kalungu District. However, he was unsuccessful under dubious circumstances.
Mbidde ran for the same seat in the constituency in the 2011 parliamentary elections but was unsuccessful and accepted her defeat this time.
Following his 2011 election loss, Mukasa Mbidde revealed gaps in Uganda’s East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) representation which then benefitted the ruling party, NRM.
He sought court redress and lobbied for the inclusion of more opposition party members. On the DP ticket, Mbidde was elected to the EALA in 2012 successfully.
He has since served EALA committees that include; the Committee on Communication, Trade and Investments, the Committee on Legal, Rules and Privileges and the Committee on Regional Affairs and Conflict Resolution.
The Committee on Communication, Trade, and Investments is chaired by him. In addition, he is the head of the East African Sub-regional Human Rights Practitioners and the head of the legal board’s subcommittee.
Political Career summary
| Years | Institution | Position |
| 1999 | Uganda Young Democrats (UYD) | Member |
| 2001 | Makerere University | Guild President |
| 2005 | Uganda Young Democrats (UYD) | National UYD Vice President |
| 2006 | Democratic Party (DP) | National Deputy Campaigning Director |
| 2012 – Present | East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) | Member |
Other Career accomplishments
Mukasa Mbidde is also a philanthropist and has sponsored several elections of some members of parliament in Uganda. He is also a co-sponsor of the activities of DP, boxing as well as the Catholic Church in Uganda.
Mbidde being a lawyer has also often offered pro bono litigation to indigent clients as well as assisted Diaspora members as far as land matters are concerned.
In addition, he is a part of the African Court Coalition and the Pan African Lawyers Union, which advocate for an effective African court on human and people’s rights.
Achievements and Awards
Mukasa Mbidde, regarded as one of the most notable guild presidents of the 2000s, successfully pushed for the sponsorship of all female students and the automatic inclusion of 1.5 extra points for each student upon entrance.
Consequently, a balance arose between the number of girls admitted to Makerere University and the boys who had previously constituted the vast majority.
There were zero strikes under Mbidde’s rule because of his superb negotiating abilities whenever there was a strike threat.
To address the concerns of the then-ignored academicians who were privately supported, Mbidde established the Ministry for Private Students Affairs.
Mbidde has well-received Chiba University (ACYPL) Japanese Recognition Awards, a distinction bestowed upon young politicians annually by the American Council.
Controversies
Fred Mukasa Mbidde has been involved in many controversies ranging from his fighting in the 1990s with the Rwandan Patriotic Army (RPA) of the current Rwandan President Kagame to his support of Margaret Zziwa, the former EALA Speaker.
Mbidde after losing the 2007 Kalungu East parliamentary by-elections allegedly accused President Museveni of being the master minder of the vote-rigging to fail him.
This to Mbidde was a punishment by President Yoweri Museveni following his participation in the 2007 Save Mabira demonstrations that happened in Kampala the capital city of Uganda.
In another set of controversies, Mbidde supported Norbert Mao a non-Muganda for the DP presidency and he made sure that Mao became the DP President.
DP is a Buganda and Catholic-based political party in Uganda which according to many should be led by a Muganda.
Mbidde’s election to EALA in 2012 was also controversial in the opposition political parties because of various strategic disagreements which led to the exclusion of the Forum for Democratic Party (FDC)’
In Jan 2013, Mbidde vowed to petition the EALA Assembly to announce President Museveni’s actions in Uganda incompatible after clashing with parliament.
In June 2013, Mbidde attempted to stop the inclusion of South Sudan into the East African Community (EAC). He had accused S. Sudan of failing to adhere to his plea in line with the murder of innocent Ugandans which according to him cannot go unchallenged.
Also, during the 2021 General elections, Mbidde supported Hon Robert Kyagulanyi aka Bobi Wine the National Unity Platform (NUP) leader for the presidency leaving out Norbert Mao of DP, a party he belongs to.
