Born on 4th November 1968 in Mulago Hospital and grew up in Makerere, Dr. Donald Rukare, a justice and human rights specialist is celebrating 15 years as a Uganda Swimming Federation president.
He lived most of his life as a sportsman taking part in Basketball, Squash but concentrated more on swimming as early as 3 years.He joined competitive swimming at the age of 7 years in his home area hence becoming a swimmer to beat during his competitive era with a number of national records between 1982 and 1992 which included 15 m freestyle, 25 yard free style, 100 high m, 100 m free style , 50 yard to mention but a few.
His colorful playing career could not leave him out of the aquatic family hence clinching presidency for Uganda Swimming Federation in 2005 replacing Jerry Dralga (R.I.P) whose administration had lowered the standards of the sport to the level that their was only two swimming clubs of Equator swimming club and Blue wales Swimming club in addition to lacking an operational calendar, offices and the national team could not have enough resources to take part in international engagements to mention but a few.
Donald is credited for turning around the sport to the current standards and his first task was to ensure that the sport circulates around the country and now the sport widened to 30 clubs and 40 schools with more than 1000 swimmers across the country, training and empowering coaches and fellow executive members to the international standards in addition to securing a home for the sport and an annual operational calendar with at least an event per month.
Unlike before, Ugandan swimmers have been regular participants at all Africa games, common wealth games, Olympics and FINA events.
Summing up 2019, the federation lined up Ugandan representatives in the CANA Zone 3 Nairobi Kenya wining 58 medals in swimming and 5 medals in Open Water hence second overall the event that had attracted 9 countries,the CANA Junior Championships in Tunisia winning two Gold medals and two Silver medals for the first time in history, All Africa games in Morocco, CANA Zone 4 championship Windhoek Namibia, and in addition to participating in FINA World Championships in Gwangju South Korea and FINA World Junior Championships in Budapest Hungary.
The sport has also diversified and successfully held the first ever water polo league with 8 teams,two masters events and the first ever open water event with 32 swimmers at Aero beach Entebbe.
Donald’s administrative skills widened his doors and he is the Secretary General of the Uganda Olympic Committee (UOC), member of the UOC Government Relations Committee, member of the UOC Legal Commission, Vice President African Swimming Federation (CANA), President of CANA Zone III , Vice Chair of the Legal Commission of the Association of African National Olympic Committees ( ANOCA),FINA Bureau member ,a member of FINA Marketing Commission and High Diving Technical Committee, Served on the FINA Masters Committee 2013-2014.
He is also an arbitrator of the International Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) , a panel member of the results management panel of the Regional Anti-Doping Agency (RADO), a member of the Commonwealth Games Federation Ethics Commission and is a MEMOS Professor, teaching Governance and Sports Management on the IOC MEMOS Master’s program in addition to an International Olympic Committee (IOC) consultant/advisor that has undertaken assignments for the IOC in Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria and Lesotho.
He concurrently handled sports and education hence a Doctor of Law (LLD) from the University of Pretoria South Africa, has a Masters of Law (LLM) from Lund University in Sweden, has a post-graduate diplomas in international law, development and legal practice, a Bachelor of Laws with honors (LLB) from Makerere University as well as a masters degree in sports Law from ISDE law and business school in Madrid Spain.
Donald also holds an Executive Masters in Sports Management from the University of Louvain Belgium (with Distinction) and has undertaken leadership/ strategic management courses at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government, Harvard Business School in the US
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