Rhoda Nakibuuka Nsibirwa Kalema, the pioneering Ugandan politician and social worker revered as the “Mother of Parliament,” has died at the age of 96.
Her family confirmed the news in a message circulated this morning, stating: “Good morning family. With deep sorrow I am informing you about the demise of Mama Canon Rhoda Kalema who has passed on this morning from Nairobi Hospital.”
Ms Kalema, who succumbed to age-related illnesses, was last seen in public last weekend at a Scripture Union confenrece in Kiboga District.
Born on May 10, 1929, Ms Kalema was one of Uganda’s most respected stateswomen.
She blazed a trail for women in politics at a time when few dared to enter the male-dominated arena.
She was among the first women to sit 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.
She was also elected to Uganda’s Constituent Assembly in 1994, defeating eight male contenders in Kiboga District in a historic vote that cemented her legacy as a national icon of women’s political empowerment.
Ms Kalema’s life was marked by personal and political adversity. She was the daughter of Buganda Katikkiro Martin Luther Nsibirwa and Veronica Namuddu, and she was educated at Gayaza and King’s College Budo before going abroad to study social work in Scotland.
Her husband, William Wilberforce Kalema, a former minister, was abducted and presumed killed during Idi Amin’s regime—an event that profoundly shaped her later advocacy for justice and peace.
In 1980, Ms Kalema co-founded the Uganda Patriotic Movement (UPM), enduring repeated arrests during the political unrest of the early 1980s.
Yet she remained a steadfast presence in Uganda’s national life, mentoring a new generation of female leaders, including Energy minister Ruth Nankabirwa.
Her contribution to the women's movement and public service was recognized widely.
In 1996, she was honoured by the Forum for Women in Democracy (FOWODE), and in 2018, Pepperdine University awarded her a Lifetime Achievement Award.
In 2021, she published her memoir, My Life Is But a Weaving, an intimate reflection on her life from royal childhood to public service, offering insights into Uganda’s colonial and post-independence journey.
Rhoda Kalema leaves behind a towering legacy of courage, resilience, and unwavering service to the nation.