The Honourable Lord Tuʻivakanō |
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Prime Minister of Tonga | |
In office 22 December 2010 – 30 December 2014 |
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Monarch |
George Tupou V Tupou VI |
Preceded by | Feleti Sevele |
Succeeded by | ʻAkilisi Pohiva |
Personal details | |
Born |
Niutoua, Tonga |
15 January 1952
Political party | Independent |
Spouse(s) | Hon. Joyce Robyn Sanft |
Children | 5 |
Parents | Hon. Siaosi Kiu Ngalumoetutulu Kiutauʻivailahi Kaho Hon. Fatafehiʻolapaha Liku |
Alma mater | Flinders University |
Siale ʻAtaongo Kaho, Lord Tuʻivakanō (born 15 January 1952) is a Tongan politician who served as the Prime Minister of Tonga from 2010 to 2014. The 13th Lord Tuʻivakanō is now the Speaker of the Tongan Parliament.
Siaosi Kiu Ngalumoetutulu Kiutauʻivailahi Kao and his wife Fatafehiʻolapaha Liku in 1952 baptised their second child and oldest son as Siale ʻAtaongo Kaho.
When his father died on 20 January 1986, Siale ʻAtaongo succeeded him to the traditional Tongan noble title of Tuʻivakanō. (literally: king of the borrowed boat). As customary in Tonga, since that time his baptismal name is no longer used, instead he is referred to as Tuʻivakanō (without any further qualification), or in more formal surroundings as ʻEiki nōpele Tuʻivakanō, nowadays translated in English as Lord (noble) Tuʻivakanō. To distinguish him from previous holders of the title, his original name can be added in parenthesis after his title.
Tuʻivakanō is the grandson of a former speaker of the Tongan Legislative Assembly, Siosiua Niutupuʻivaha Kaho, who was the younger brother of Tēvita Polutele Kaho (who also was a Tuʻivakanō, and better known as TP Tuʻivakano), the prime minister just one century ago.
Tuʻivakanō was educated in Tonga, New Zealand and the United Kingdom. He attended the Three Kings Primary School in Epsom. He then went on to Wesley College, Auckland, located in the small town of Paerata, outside of Pukekohe, South of Auckland. He was very successful at Wesley becoming Head Prefect, Athletics Champion and Captain of 1st XV. Tuʻivakanō's qualifications include a Teaching Diploma obtained in 1974 from Ardmore Teaching College, New Zealand. In 1991 he received a bachelor's degree with Honours in Political Science after three years of study at the Flinders University of South Australia.
Returning to Tonga following his study in New Zealand, Tuʻivakanō worked in teaching at the Tonga High School and trained in youth development in Malaysia and Singapore in 1980. Tuʻivakanō gained further experience in the Tongan education system appointed as Education Officer within the Ministry of Education in 1982. Between 1992 and 1996 Tu'ivakano became Senior Education Officer for Youth, Sport and Culture. During this period Tu'ivakano was involved with various Tongan Sporting organisations holding president roles with the Tonga National Rugby League, Tonga Sumo Association, Tonga National Taekwando Association and Vice presidency of the Tongan National Olympic Committee.