Kenneth Koma

Kenneth Goabamang Koma was born on June 23, 1923, in Mahalapye. A tireless scholar, Koma earned degrees in arts and law from the University of South Africa, Nottingham University, and a doctorate in political science from Charles University in Prague.

In 1965, Koma founded the Botswana National Front (BNF) and authored its seminal manifesto, Pamphlet No. 1, advocating social democracy, traditional chieftaincy reform, and worker-peasant alliances. Winning the Gaborone South parliamentary seat in 1984, Koma served for nearly two decades as Leader of the Opposition, shaping the political debate on labor rights, social inequality, and constitutional reform in Botswana.