Who is Fred Ruhindi?: Flash Uganda Media looks at his biography, age, family, wife, crimes, work and experience, political career, early life and education of the former Attorney General of Uganda.
Fredrick Ruhindi, best known as Freddie Ruhindi or Fred Ruhindi, is a Ugandan lawyer and politician.
He was Attorney General of Uganda from 1 March 2015 to 2016, he as well served as the State Minister for Justice & Constitutional Affairs in the Ugandan Cabinet between 2 June 2006 and 28 February 2015.
He has served in that capacity since 2006. In the cabinet reshuffle of 16 February 2009, and that of 27 May 2011, he retained his cabinet post. At the time, he was the elected Member of Parliament representing Nakawa Division in Kampala District.
He’s best known for politics.
He admits that accepting a ministerial post was the greatest mistake he ever made because it costed him dearly, the best thing to do could have been to remain a backbencher because that allows someone space to shine on the floor of Parliament and even Committees.
But most importantly one is more available to the people than a minister who’s always away on national duty yet to voters that don’t mean anything.
Early Life and Education
Fred Ruhindi was born on 29 August 1955.
He attended Mbarara High School from where he obtained his O-Level Certificate in 1973, then Ntare School from where he obtained his Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education in 1975.
Bachelor’s Degree in Laws, from Makerere University Kampala, then Diploma in Legal Practice from the Law Development Centre in Kampala.
The University of Edinburg in Scotland, Master of Laws.
Work and Experience
1981-1992, Fred Ruhindi worked as a State Attorney, in the Ministry of Justice & Constitutional Affairs, that’s eleven years period.
1992-1999, he served as Corporation Secretary at the Investment Authority after receiving a transfer from the Ministry of Justice & Constitutional Affairs.
Ruhindi entered politics in 2001 and was elected to parliament to represent Nakawa Division, Kampala District, taking over from Jaberi Bidandi Ssali.
He was re-elected in 2006.
He has served as State Minister for Justice & Constitutional Affairs since 2006. From June 2006 until February 2015, he also served as the Deputy Attorney General of Uganda.
In a cabinet reshuffle on 1 March 2015, he was appointed the Attorney General of Uganda until 2016.
Ruhindi contested again for Nakawa Division parliamentary seat and lost to opposition Forum for Democratic Change candidate, Michael Kabaziguruka.
According to Ruhindi, his loss was facilitated by the controversies that surrounded the National Resistance Movement (NRM) party primaries in October 2015, which split the party membership forcing some members to run as Independents and splitting the party’s block vote.
Fred Ruhindi was a powerful Minister but had nothing on his sleeves to show the voters of Nakawa, this too aided his election loss in 2016.
Family
Fred Ruhindi is widowed. He belongs to the National Resistance Movement (NRM) political party. He is of the Christian faith.
Crimes
Fred Ruhindi was accused of soliciting UGX 6 billion rewards to 42 public officers. The money, which has since caused a public uproar, was paid to the officials as a reward for their contribution to the winning of an oil tax arbitration case in London.
However, appearing before the committee on Commissions, Statutory Authorities and State Enterprises (COSASE) on February 14, 2017, Ruhindi dismissed reports by the then URA Commissioner General, Doris Akol, that he had no hand in asking for the money for the officers.
Ruhindi revealed that President Yoweri Museveni, in a cabinet meeting on November 14, 2014, promised the government team that represented Uganda in the case, a reward if they won the case.
In a subsequent letter written in June 2015, Ruhindi explained that he reminded the president of the reward he promised.
Ruhindi as well dismissed claims by Akol that he drafted the list of beneficiaries to receive the money.
In his defence, Ruhindi stated that at that time, he was Deputy Attorney General and did not have the mandate to do so.
