He is not often in front of the cameras, but in Ugandan political and business circles, Odrek Rwabwogo is a name that quietly commands attention. As a businessman, political adviser, and son-in-law to President Yoweri Museveni, Rwabwogo has spent much of his adult life at the intersection of power, policy, and private enterprise.
Now serving as the chairperson of the Presidential Advisory Committee on Exports and Industrial Development (PACEID), Rwabwogo is at the forefront of Uganda’s push to boost its export base, especially in agriculture — the backbone of the country’s economy.
From a Village in Kiruhura to Cardiff
Born on 17 September 1969 in the rural village of Naama, Kinoni Sub County in western Uganda’s Kiruhura District, Rwabwogo is the fifth of seven children. His parents, Thomas and Erina Rwabwogo, were peasant farmers transformed by the East African Christian revival movement. They never attended formal school, instead learning to read and write through church teachings.
His childhood was shaped by loss — his father died when he was 12, his mother four years later — but also by a relentless push toward education. After attending local schools including Kako Secondary School and Mbarara High School, he went on to study political science and economics at Makerere University.
There, he toyed with student politics, backing his friend Charles Rwomushana in the race for guild president and serving briefly as the Minister for National Pan-African Affairs before resigning over financial disagreements. He later became Speaker of the National Students’ Council, founding a pan-African movement chapter and demonstrating a consistent interest in ideology and mobilisation.
In the late 1990s, he pursued postgraduate studies in media and journalism at Cardiff University in Wales, supported by financial aid. Like many international students in the UK, he took on humble jobs — working night shifts as a security guard and weekends in a tyre factory — to make ends meet.
Entrepreneur, Author, Adviser
Rwabwogo returned home with a vision. Armed with a second-hand computer and limited capital, he launched Terp Media in 1998 — a strategic communications firm named in memory of his parents and his elder sister Penina, who had sacrificed her own schooling for his.
Terp Media grew into a notable player in Uganda’s media and public relations landscape, while Rwabwogo expanded into other sectors under the Tomosi Group — a conglomerate with interests spanning construction, agriculture, real estate, security and travel. The group, which employs thousands, also manages Tomosi’s Farm in Bwesharire, a dairy enterprise producing under the Milkman brand.
His farming credentials are not simply theoretical. He has long championed agribusiness as a path to rural development and economic transformation — a focus that dovetails with his current role advising President Museveni on industrialisation and export growth.
In 2021, Rwabwogo was formally appointed Special Presidential Adviser, with a mandate to bolster Uganda’s presence on the international stage and push for increased export competitiveness.
He is also the author of the Uganda Districts Information Handbook (2005–2006) and several short stories, offering a glimpse into his reflective side, and his background in journalism is evident in his structured, message-driven public engagements.
Political Forays and Party Tensions
In 2015, Rwabwogo sought to contest for the NRM Western Region Chairmanship, a move that drew attention within party ranks. Reports at the time suggested disagreements over the handling of his candidacy. He ran against retired Major General Matayo Kyaligonza, prompting internal friction within the ruling National Resistance Movement.
After reportedly threatening to quit the party over what he viewed as unfair treatment, the Central Executive Committee backed down from removing him from the race.
Known for his strong views on Pan-Africanism and economic transformation, Rwabwogo is considered by supporters to be both a strategist and a policy thinker.
A Family Rooted in Faith and Power
Rwabwogo married Pastor Patience Rwabwogo — President Museveni’s second daughter — in July 2002. She leads the Covenant of Apostles of God, a Pentecostal church based in Buziga, Kampala. Together, the couple has four children and remains closely tied to both faith and politics.
While his marriage to President Museveni’s daughter places him close to the centre of power, Rwabwogo’s career in media, business, and advisory roles predates his formal entry into government
A Strategist With a Farmer’s Mindset
Whether addressing business leaders in a training seminar or touring agro-processing plants, Rwabwogo consistently returns to a theme of value addition and national self-reliance. His speeches stress discipline, long-term thinking, and ideological clarity — hallmarks of the generation that emerged in the wake of Uganda’s liberation struggle.
While his last name isn’t synonymous with his achievements — many of which predate his official political appointments — his proximity to power raises inevitable questions about the growing role of family networks in Uganda’s political landscape.
Yet to supporters, he is more than a presidential in-law. They describe him as a pragmatist — a thinker who believes Uganda must outgrow its dependence on raw commodity exports, and a business leader who has walked the talk.
In a political landscape often defined by long-standing loyalties and historical legacies, Odrek Rwabwogo presents a different blend of leadership — part entrepreneur, part policy thinker, with roots firmly grounded in the land and a focus on Uganda’s future in global markets.
