View source for Rukman Senanayake

{{Short description|Sri Lankan politician (1948–2024)}}
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{{no footnotes|date=June 2017}}
{{Sources|date=August 2024}}
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{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2024}}
{{Infobox MP
| honorific-prefix    = [[The Honourable|Hon.]]
| name                = Rukman Senanayake
| honorific-suffix    = 
| image               = Rukman_Senanayake.jpg
| caption             = Senanayake in 2008
| constituency_MP     = 
| parliament          = Sri Lankan
| majority            = <!-- Can be repeated up to eight times by adding a number -->
| term_start          = <!-- Can be repeated up to eight times by adding a number -->
| term_end            = <!-- Can be repeated up to eight times by adding a number -->
| predecessor         = <!-- Can be repeated up to eight times by adding a number -->
| successor           = <!-- Can be repeated up to eight times by adding a number -->
| birth_date          = {{birth date|1948|06|21|df=y}}
| birth_place         = [[Colombo]], [[Dominion of Ceylon|Ceylon]]
| death_date          = {{death date and age|2024|08|24|1948|06|21|df=y}}
| death_place         = 
| nationality         = Sri Lankan
| party               = [[United National Party]]
| otherparty          = 
| spouse              = 
| partner             = <!--For those with a domestic partner and not married -->
| relations           = 
| children            = 
| residence           = 
| alma_mater          = 
| occupation          = Politician
| profession          = 
| signature           = 
| website             = 
| footnotes           = 
}}

'''Rukman Senanayake''' (21 June 1948 – 24 August 2024) was a Sri Lankan politician. A [[Cabinet Minister]] of Environment and Natural Resources from 2002 to 2004 and [[Member of Parliament]] for [[Kegalle District]], he was a Vice Leader of the [[United National Party]].

==Early life and family==
Rukman Senanayake was born on 21 June 1948 as the third son of Robert Parakrama Senanayake and Swarna Neela Senanayake, both cousins of the [[Senanayake family]], a prominent political family that dominated the post-independence years of Sri Lanka. His paternal grandfather, [[D. S. Senanayake]] was the first [[Prime Minister of Ceylon]] and his maternal grandfather, [[F. R. Senanayake]], elder brother of D. S. Senanayake, was a leading figure in the Ceylonese independence movement. His paternal uncle, [[Dudley Senanayake]], served as [[Prime Minister of Ceylon]] for four terms, and his maternal uncle, [[R.G. Senanayake]] served as the Cabinet Minister of Trade and Commerce during the period 1952–53, and also during the period 1956–60 in [[SWRD Bandaranaike]]'s government. His father, Robert Senanayake, was the Chairman of Freudenberg & Co. (Ceylon) Ltd., which owned Freudenberg Shipping Agencies and the [[Toyota]] dealership in Ceylon. He had one elder brother, Devinda, and two sisters, Ranjini and Yasmin. The family hailed from [[Bothale Walawwa]] in Mihirigama. He was educated at [[S. Thomas' College, Mount Lavinia]].

==Political career==
Senanayake first entered the [[Parliament of Sri Lanka]] in 1973 from the [[United National Party]], representing the [[Dedigama Electoral District|Dedigama]] electorate following the death of his uncle, Dudley Senanayake. He remained a Member of Parliament until 1977 but did not contest the 1977 General Elections. In 1994, Senanayake entered Parliament from the United National Party for the second time. He remained a Member of Parliament, representing the [[Polonnaruwa District]] until 2001. Again, in 2001, he entered Parliament from Kegalle District and was appointed Cabinet Minister of Environment and Natural Resources in the United National Party government. Senanayake held the portfolio of Cabinet Minister until 2004. He re-entered Parliament in the 2004 General Elections. He was appointed the United National Party Chairman in 2007 and  Vice Leader in 2008.

==Death==
Senanayake died on 24 August 2024, at the age of 76.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.dailymirror.lk/breaking-news/D-S-Senanayakes-grandson-Rukman-Senanayake-passes-away/108-290247 |title=D.S. Senanayake's grandson Rukman Senanayake passes away |publisher=Daily Mirror |last= |first= |date=24 August 2024 |accessdate=24 August 2024 |archive-date=24 August 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240824094851/https://www.dailymirror.lk/breaking-news/D-S-Senanayakes-grandson-Rukman-Senanayake-passes-away/108-290247 |url-status=live}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[List of political families in Sri Lanka]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.worldgenweb.org/lkawgw/gen3001.html   The Senanayake Ancestry]

{{Sri Lankan Environment & Renewable Energy ministers}}
{{Members of 13th Parliament of Sri Lanka}}
{{Members of 12th Parliament of Sri Lanka}}
{{Members of 11th Parliament of Sri Lanka}}
{{Members of 10th Parliament of Sri Lanka}}
{{Members of 7th Parliament of Ceylon}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Senanayake, Rukman}}
[[Category:1948 births]]
[[Category:2024 deaths]]
[[Category:Sri Lankan Buddhists]]
[[Category:United National Party politicians]]
[[Category:Government ministers of Sri Lanka]]
[[Category:Members of the 7th Parliament of Ceylon]]
[[Category:Members of the 10th Parliament of Sri Lanka]]
[[Category:Members of the 11th Parliament of Sri Lanka]]
[[Category:Members of the 12th Parliament of Sri Lanka]]
[[Category:Members of the 13th Parliament of Sri Lanka]]
[[Category:Alumni of S. Thomas' College, Mount Lavinia]]
[[Category:Senanayake family|Rukman]]