David Kabua (born 1951) is a Marshallese politician who served as

President of the Marshall Islands The following is a list of President (government title), presidents of the Marshall Islands, since the establishment of that office in 1979. The president of the Republic of the Marshall Islands is the head of state and government of the Marshall ...

from 2020 to 2024. He has represented Wotho Atoll in the

Legislature of the Marshall Islands The Legislature of the Marshall Islands ( ) has 33 members, elected for a four-year term in nineteen single-seat and five multi-seat constituencies. The last election was November 20, 2023. Elections in the Marshall Islands are officially nonpar ...

since 2008 and served terms as Minister of Health and Internal Affairs.

Early life

Kabua was born in

Majuro Majuro (; Marshallese language, Marshallese: ' ) is the Capital city, capital and largest city of the Marshall Islands. It is also a large coral atoll of 64 islands in the Pacific Ocean. It forms a legislative district of the Ratak Chain, Ratak ( ...

in 1951 as the fourth child and second son of the first President of the

Marshall Islands The Marshall Islands, officially the Republic of the Marshall Islands, is an island country west of the International Date Line and north of the equator in the Micronesia region of the Northwestern Pacific Ocean. The territory consists of 29 c ...

, Amata Kabua, and his wife, former First Lady Emlain Kabua. Kabua graduated from Xavier High School in

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Federated States of Micronesia The Federated States of Micronesia (, abbreviated FSM), or simply Micronesia, is an island country in Micronesia, a region of Oceania. The federation encompasses the majority of the Caroline Islands (excluding Palau) and consists of four Admin ...

in 1971, and later studied at the

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in Manoa. Kabua subsequently worked as teacher aide, student liaison officer and general manager of the Marshall Islands Development Authority. He was the consul general of the Marshall Islands in

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, United States, for four years. He also worked as a private business owner for a decade.

Political career

In the 2007 Marshallese general election Kabua was elected to the

for Wotho Atoll for the first time. He was re-elected in the 2011 Marshallese general election. During his second term he served as Minister of Health from 2012 and 2013 and in 2014 he was made Minister of Internal Affairs in a cabinet reshuffle. He was once again elected in the 2015 Marshallese general election. He was Minister in Assistance to the President of Marshall Islands in the cabinet of Casten Nemra in January 2016. During the 2019 Marshallese general election he was re-elected for Wotho Atoll with 120 votes. On 6 January 2020 Kabua was elected President of the Marshall Islands by the national legislature by a vote of 20–12 with one abstention. He succeeded

Hilda Heine Hilda Cathy Heine (born 6 April 1951) is a Marshallese educator and politician. She has served as the president of the Marshall Islands since 2024, having previously served from 2016 to 2020. Heine was the first woman to lead any sovereign count ...

, who was seeking a second term, but lost in the first session vote. Kabua said that combating

climate change Present-day climate change includes both global warming—the ongoing increase in Global surface temperature, global average temperature—and its wider effects on Earth's climate system. Climate variability and change, Climate change in ...

, negotiating with the US regarding the extension of a funding arrangement that expires in 2024 and addressing the issue of Runit Dome as the top priorities of his presidency. Meaghan Tobin, writing for the ''

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'' described Kabua as a moderate politician who would continue the country's relationship with

Taiwan Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia. The main geography of Taiwan, island of Taiwan, also known as ''Formosa'', lies between the East China Sea, East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocea ...

. In September 2020, in the lead up to the 75th General Assembly of the

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Kabua wrote a public letter to ''

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'' in which he warned about the risks of climate change to his country, stating that his country could disappear. On 3 January 2024 Hilda Heine took over the presidency from Kabua.

Cabinet

Kabua and his cabinet were sworn into office by Chief Justice Carl Ingram of the High Court of the Marshall Islands on 13 January 2020.

Personal life

Kabua is married to Ginger Kabua. Together, they have three children.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kabua, David 1951 births Living people Children of presidents Health ministers of the Marshall Islands Interior ministers of the Marshall Islands Marshallese diplomats Members of the Legislature of the Marshall Islands Ministers in assistance to the president of Marshall Islands People from Majuro Presidents of the Marshall Islands 21st-century Marshallese politicians