Martin Aliker

Martin Jerome Okec Aliker is a Ugandan dental surgeon, businessman, entrepreneur, and community leader. He is a senior adviser to the President of Uganda[1] and has sat on the board of directors of nearly forty Ugandan companies. He is the chancellor of Victoria University Uganda, a private institution.[2] From 2004 until 2014, he served as the founding chancellor of Gulu University, a public university.[3]

Martin Aliker
Born (1928-10-21) 21 October 1928
Gulu, Uganda
NationalityUgandan
CitizenshipUganda
Alma materMakerere University
(did not graduate)
Northwestern University
(Bachelor of Arts)
(Doctor of Dental Surgery)
Royal College of Surgeons of England
(Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons)
OccupationDental surgeon & businessman
Years active1962 — present
Home townGulu

Background and education

Aliker was born in Gulu District on 21 October 1928 to Rwot Lacito Okech and Julaina Auma, a daughter of Musa Ali, the first ordained Anglican priest in Acholi. He attended Gulu High School for his primary education, before transferring to Kings College Budo for his O-Level studies. In 1948, he was admitted to Makerere University, the oldest public university in East Africa. Before he could complete his studies at Makerere, he won a scholarship to Northwestern University, in Chicago, United States, where he studied political science, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree. Following that, he was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship to study dental surgery, also at Northwestern, graduating with a Doctor of Dental Surgery. Later, he was awarded the title of Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons by the Royal College of Surgeons of England.[4]

Lifestyle

After his doctorate studies in the United States, Aliker returned to Uganda and took up employment as a government dental surgeon. Later, he left the civil service and set up the first private dental practice in Uganda owned by an African.

In 1971, when Idi Amin captured power in a coup d'état, his residence shared the back wall with Aliker's house. Amin's security people ordered him to move away from his home because he was deemed a security risk to Amin.

In late 1972, he fled to Nairobi, Kenya because of the deteriorating security situation in Uganda. While in Nairobi, he set up a lucrative dental practice, staying there until 1998, when he came back to Uganda. On his return, he was able to repossess his home.[5]

Investments

Starting in the 1960s, Aliker began buying shares in blue chip companies, including the Uganda Commercial Bank and the National Insurance Company. As of October 2014, Aliker was a shareholder in the following publicly traded Ugandan companies: (a) Stanbic Bank Uganda (b) Uganda Clays Limited (c) Nation Media Group (d) National Insurance Corporation (e) East African Breweries, among others. He sits on the boards of many of these companies and is the chairman of Uganda Clays Limited.[6]

Other responsibilities

He sits on the Actis East African Advisory Board, launched by Actis, the private equity firm affiliated with the Commonwealth Development Corporation.[7] In July 2014, he was appointed chairman of the board of trustees of the Makerere University Endowment Fund.[8]

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See also

References
  1. Davies, Rob (15 November 2013). "Tullow In Latest Row Over £900m Acquisition of Heritage Oil After Snubbing Close Confidant of Uganda's President". ThisIsMoney.Co.Uk. Retrieved 19 October 2014.
  2. Lyatuu, Justus (26 January 2014). "Victoria University Gets New Council". The Observer (Uganda). Retrieved 28 January 2015.
  3. Red Pepper Reporter (27 October 2014). "Gulu University Gets New Chancellor". Red Pepper Newspaper. Retrieved 28 January 2015.
  4. Namisango, Ritah (2 August 2012). "Makerere Honours Dr. Martin Jerome Okec Aliker". Makerere University. Retrieved 19 October 2014.
  5. Adengo, Jonathan (24 April 2013). "The Many Tales of Martin Aliker's Home". Daily Monitor (Kampala). Retrieved 19 October 2014.
  6. Otage, Stephen (19 October 2014). "NSSF Takes Over UShs19 Billion Uganda Clays Debt". Daily Monitor (Kampala). Retrieved 19 October 2014.
  7. Sseppuya, Mikaili (18 July 2007). "Dr. Martin Aliker Joins Actis Board". New Vision (Kampala). Archived from the original on 21 August 2007. Retrieved 19 October 2014.
  8. Innocent Anguyo, and Raymond Walwimbi (17 July 2014). "Dr. Aliker Appointed MUK Endowment Fund Chairman". New Vision (Kampala). Retrieved 19 October 2014.
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