Sam Bitangaro

Bitangaro was born in Kisoro District, Kigezi sub-region, on 06 October 1959 in an Anglican family of the Bafumbira as the first born of six children. His father, Peter Bitangaro, was a health inspector and his mother, Evelyn Bitangaro, a primary school teacher.

He had his primary and O-Level education in his home district of Kisoro, attaining a PLE Certification in 1973 from Seseme Primary School and a EACE certification in 1977 from St. Paul Secondary School Mutolere. He then attended Namilyango Collegefor his A-Level education where he was a chairperson of the School Council and attained a EAACE certification in 1979.

Bitangaro further advanced to Makerere University where he was a chairman for North Court Hall and graduated in 1983 with a Law LL.B. (Hons) degree and subsequently attained a PgD in Legal practice from LDC in 1984. As a tennis player, he participated in a number of tennis competitions in his school days.

On acquiring a postgraduate diploma in legal practice, Bitangaro enrolled as an advocate for the Uganda Courts of Judicature in 1986. He then practiced law with Nicholas Lwanga and Company Advocates up to 1994 when he joined and became a partner in Nsubuga Mubiru and Bitangaro Advocates. In 1997, Bitangaro founded Bitangaro & Co. Advocates where he still works to-date as a senior partner.

In 2001, during the non-party “Movement” system of government, Bitangaro joined elective politics and won his maiden election that ushered him into the7th Parliament of Uganda as a representative for the constituents of Bufumbira County South. Consequently, he was appointed as the Minister of State for Gender and Culture,a position he held up until 2006 when he lost in his re-election bid to Tress Bucyanayandi.

In 2016, Bitangaro was for the second time elected to represent the same constituency, this time round on the NRM ticket. He won both the party’s primaries and the general elections in 2016 and became a member of the 10th Parliament for the Pearl of Africa representing Bufumbira County South in Kisoro District.

In the 10th Parliament, Bitangaro is a member of the Committee on Rules, Privileges and Discipline, the Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee and the NRM Parliamentary Caucus.

Sam Bitangaro is married to Barbara Bitangaro, a journalist and public health specialist. They have three children: Brenda Bitangaro, Daudi Bitangaro and Kaze Bitangaro. He is a former diocesan chancellor for Muhabura Diocese and was the chairperson for Kisoro District Service Commission from 1997 to 2004.