KAMPALA, Uganda — Rhoda Nakibuuka Kalema, one of Uganda’s most revered political trailblazers and a champion of women’s empowerment, has died at the age of 96. Her family confirmed the news, noting that she passed away due to age-related complications at Nairobi Hospital.
Widely known as the “Mother of Parliament,” Kalema was born on May 10, 1929, and rose to prominence during a time when few women dared to enter the political arena.
She was among the first women to serve in Uganda’s post-Amin National Consultative Council and later served as Deputy Minister of Public Service under President Yoweri Museveni from 1989 to 1991. In 1994, she made history by defeating eight male opponents to win a seat in Uganda’s Constituent Assembly representing Kiboga District.
Kalema’s contributions extended far beyond politics. She was a fierce advocate for justice, social equity, and peace principles shaped in part by her personal loss. Her husband, William Wilberforce Kalema, a former cabinet minister, was abducted and presumed murdered during Idi Amin’s brutal regime.
Born into a prominent Buganda family her father, Martin Luther Nsibirwa, was a former Katikkiro (Prime Minister) of Buganda Kalema received her education at Gayaza High School, King’s College Budo, and later trained in social work in Scotland.
During Uganda’s tumultuous early 1980s, she co-founded the Uganda Patriotic Movement (UPM) and endured multiple arrests. Despite this, she remained an unwavering voice in national affairs, dedicating much of her later life to mentoring young women leaders, including current Chief Government Whip Ruth Nankabirwa.
Her lifelong commitment to public service and women’s rights earned her numerous accolades, including recognition from the Forum for Women in Democracy (FOWODE) in 1996 and a Lifetime Achievement Award from Pepperdine University in 2018. In 2021, she published her memoir, My Life Is But a Weaving, offering rare insights into Uganda’s pre- and post-independence political landscape.
She leaves behind an enduring legacy of resilience, integrity, and leadership, inspiring generations of Ugandans to come.
