Hon. Kiryowa Kiwanuka

Hon. Kiryowa Kiwanuka is an accomplished lawyer, public servant and legal practitioner with extensive experience in litigation, legal advisory services, negotiation and institutional governance. Prior to his appointment as Minister of Defence and Veteran Affairs in 2026, he served as Attorney General of the Republic of Uganda from 2021 to 2026.

Before joining Cabinet, he was a Partner at K & K Advocates, a law firm he co-founded in 2001, having previously practised as a Legal Associate at Mulira & Co. Advocates. He was admitted to the Bar in 1998 and has represented clients before Uganda’s courts of judicature and the East African Court of Justice. Hon. Kiwanuka served on the inaugural Board of the Petroleum Authority of Uganda from 2015 to 2019 and was reappointed in 2020, serving until his appointment as Attorney General in 2021. He also served on the Makerere University Council from 2018, including as Chairperson of its Audit Committee.

He obtained a Bachelor of Laws from Makerere University in 1996, a Postgraduate Diploma in Legal Practice from the Law Development Centre in 1997, and a Master of Laws in Petroleum Law and Policy from the University of Dundee in 2017. He has also been an Insolvency Practitioner under the Insolvency Act since 2019.