New Namibian President Has Ties To UConn

STORRS, CT — Namibia's new president has ties to the University of Connecticut.

Nangolo Mbumba who studied entomology at UConn in the 1970s, officially became Namibia’s fourth president on Sunday.

The BBC reported that Mbumba was sworn in just hours after, as vice-president, he had announced the death of his predecessor. President Hage Geingob, 82, died early on Sunday while receiving medical treatment at a hospital in the capital, Windhoek.

Mbumba became acting president when the late president traveled to the United States for cancer treatment on Jan. 24. He was sworn in following Geingob's passing on Feb. 5.

UConn officials said Mbumba was born in 1941 and attended Southern Connecticut State University, where he received a bachelor's degree in 1971. He studied at UConn from 1971 to 1973, earning enough credits for a master of science degree. Mbumba taught at Harlem Preparatory School in New York before returning to Africa to become Head of the Science Department at the Namibia Education Centre, UConn officials said.

Before assuming the presidency, he had served many Namibian leadership roles, including minister of agriculture, minister of water and rural development, minister of finance, minister of information and broadcasting, minister of education and as vice president of Namibia.

He has also served as Chancellor of the University of Namibia, UConn officials said.

Here is his swearing-in: