Israel Kibirige Ssebunya

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Israel Kibirige Ssebunya (1 May 1946 – 8 October 2008) was a Ugandan scientist, farmer, teacher and politician. He specialized in cytogenetics and plant breeding and served as State Minister for Agriculture, Animal Industry & Fisheries from 1999 until his death in 2008. He also stood as the elected Member of Parliament for Kyadondo County North in Wakiso District from 1996 to 2008. Earlier, he was the director of research at Kawanda Agricultural Research Institute (KARI).

Early life and education
Ssebunya was born in Mukono District on 1 May 1946, the fifth child of Besweri Kibirige. He attended Matugga Primary School, Ndejje Secondary School, and Makerere College School for his pre-university studies. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture (plant breeding) from Makerere University (1967–1971). He then moved to Canada, where he obtained a Master of Science in Agriculture and a Doctor of Philosophy in Cytogenetics from the University of Saskatchewan.

Career
From 1970 to 1974 and again from 1980 to 1984, he worked as a botanist at the Coffee Research Unit of Kawanda Agricultural Research Station. Between 1980 and 1986, he was an Adjunct Lecturer in plant genetics and plant breeding at Makerere University. From 1984 to 1989, he served as Principal Research Scientist for the Coffee Research Program at KARI. From 1989 to 1992, he was the Acting Director of Research at Namulonge Agricultural Research Institute and also acting director of research at KARI. In 1999, he became State Minister for Agriculture, and he was re-appointed to the same position on 1 June 2006.

Personal life and death
Ssebunya died of throat cancer at Mulago National Referral Hospital in Kampala on 8 October 2008. His body lay in state in the Parliament Building before he was buried at Katente Village, Mukono District. He was survived by his wife, Theresa Namatovu Ssebunya, a lecturer in biological sciences at the University of Botswana, and five children. One of his sons, Robert Sebunya Kasule, was elected to succeed him as MP for Kyadondo County North and was later re-elected to represent Nansana municipality in 2011 and 2016.