President of Botswana.
Lieutenant General Seretse Khama Ian Khama is the president of Botswana. He is a qualified pilot and attended Sandhurst Military Academy.
Serving as Commander of the Botswana Defence Force, Khama announced on 6 December 1997 that he would retire from his position on 31 March 1998. This created speculation as it was the same date that President Quett Masire planned to retire from his post.
On 1 April 1998 Khama was appointed vice-president but couldn't take office immediately because he did not hold a seat in the National Assembly.
In July 1998 he won a by-election for the candidate of the opposition Botswana National Front .
He took his seat in the National Assembly on 13 July and was sworn in as Vice-President.
Khama remained Vice-President and Minister of Presidential Affairs and Public Administration after the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) gained victory in the general election in October 1999.
Khama was granted one-year leave which became effective on 1 January 2000 and on 1 September 2000 he returned to his duties as Vice-President. However he was replaced as Minister of Presidential Affairs and Public Administration.
Although Khama was already a member of BDP, he was elected as Chairman on 22 July 2003 at a party congress.
Botswana's previous president, Festus Mogae, handed power over to Khama on 1 April 2008.
He is the firstborn son of Sir Seretse Khama, the country's foremost independence leader who was President from 1966 to 1980, and Lady Ruth Williams Khama.