Professor Patrick R. Rubaihayo has expertise in plant breeding, genetics, plant tissue and cell culture, and Genomics. He is widely traveled and has worked with a number of crops including: grain legumes, bananas, tomatoes, potatoes, maize, sorghum, etc. He moved through the ranks from special lecturer to associate professor in the Department of Crop Science, Makerere University between 1971 and 1976 and was appointed professor in 1995. Between 1981-85 Professor Rubaihayo was a member of Ugandan parliament and minister of state for agriculture and forestry where he was in charge of the Coffee Rehabilitation Programme, the Agriculture Rehabilitation Project, and agricultural research among other duties. He coordinated the National Banana-Based Cropping Systems Research Programme between 1990 and 1994. He also coordinated the National Pigeon pea Improvement Programme and Tomato Improvement Programme in the 1990s.