Rhoda Nakibuuka Nsibirwa Kalema

Rhoda Nakibuuka Nsibirwa Kalema (10 May 1929 – 3 August 2025) was a Ugandan politician known as the country's "Mother of Parliament".

Early life and education

Born on 10 May 1929, one of the 24 children of Martin Luther Nsibirwa, twice Katikkiro (Prime Minister) of the Kingdom of Buganda. She grew up in Mengo, Kampala. Rhoda attended Gayaza Junior School, then King's College Budo. She trained in secretarial studies and worked at Gayaza High School until 1949. In 1950 she married William Kalema. She later pursued Social Work and Social Administration at Newbattle Abbey (UK) and earned a Diploma in Social Studies at the University of Edinburgh.

Political career

She joined the Uganda People's Congress in 1961. Rhoda served as junior minister of Culture and Community Development in Godfrey Binaisa's administration. After the tragic death of her husband in 1972 during Idi Amin's regime, she stepped back from politics until 1979, when she joined the National Consultative Council. In 1980 she was a founding member of the Uganda Patriotic Movement. Rhoda was arrested several times (1979, 1981, 1983) for her activism. She later served as Deputy Minister of Public Service (1989–1991). In 1994 she was elected to the Constituent Assembly for Kiboga, winning two‑thirds of the vote. She later retired from frontline politics, mentoring many public leaders.

Honours

- 1996: Recognised by the Forum for Women in Democracy as a transformative leader
- 2018: Sudreau Global Justice Lifetime Achievement Award (Pepperdine University School of Law and the Ugandan Judiciary)

Rhoda Kalema passed away on 3 August 2025, aged 96.