Rukman Senanayake, a veteran Sri Lankan politician and grandson of the nation’s first Prime Minister, D.S. Senanayake, passed away yesterday at the age of 76.
Born on June 21, 1948, Rukman Senanayake first entered Parliament in 1973, winning the by-election for the Dedigama division of Kegalle, a seat left vacant following the death of his uncle, Dudley Senanayake. A stalwart of the United National Party (UNP), he represented the Polonnaruwa district and re-entered Parliament in 1993 as an MP for the same district.
Senanayake held several key positions, including Cabinet Minister of Environment and Natural Resources. In 2007, he was appointed Chairman of the UNP and later became the party’s Vice Leader in 2008.
Educated at S. Thomas’ College, Mount Lavinia, Senanayake hailed from the prominent Senanayake family of Bothale Walawwa in Mirigama. He had an elder brother, Devinda and two sisters, Ranjini and Yasmin. – Chamikara
