Rhoda Nakibuuka Nsibirwa Kalema, a trailblazing politician revered as Uganda’s “Mother of Parliament,” has passed away at the age of 96, her family confirmed on Sunday morning, August 3, 2025, at Nairobi Hospital.
Born on May 10, 1929, in Kampala’s royal residence of Butikkiro, she was one of 24 children of Buganda Katikkiro Martin Luther Nsibirwa, who was assassinated in 1945, and his wife Veronica Namuddu.
Educated at Gayaza High School and King’s College Budo, she later trained in social work at the University of Edinburgh and Newbattle Abbey in Scotland .
Kalema’s political career began in 1961 when she joined the Uganda People’s Congress, stepping into public life under the guidance of Grace Ibingira and Adoko Nyekon.
After the disappearance and presumed murder of her husband, William Wilberforce Kalema, under Idi Amin’s regime in 1972, she withdrew from politics until Amin’s fall in 1979 .
After Amin’s ouster, she was selected as the only woman in the transitional National Consultative Council (NCC). In 1980, she co‑founded the Uganda Patriotic Movement (UPM), facing multiple arrests during the unrest of the early 1980s (1979, 1981, and 1983). Under President Museveni, she served as Deputy Minister of Public Service from 1989 to 1991 .
In 1994, she made history by winning the Constituent Assembly seat for Kiboga District, defeating eight male opponents with over two‑thirds of the vote. Her victory solidified her reputation as a champion of women’s political participation.
Across decades of service, Kalema mentored many women leaders, including the current Chief Government Whip, Ruth Nankabirwa. She received numerous accolades, including the Forum for Women in Democracy’s “transformative leader” honor in 1996, and the Sudreau Global Justice Lifetime Achievement Award from Pepperdine University and Uganda’s judiciary in 2018.
In 2021, she published her autobiography, My Life Is But a Weaving, reflecting on her life from gracious childhood and personal loss to her steadfast public service and advocacy for women’s rights .
Legacy and Impact
Politician of firsts: Seen as Uganda’s first elected female parliamentarian and a pioneer for women in public office.
Survivor of tragedy: Experienced the loss of her father and husband, and endured multiple arrests, yet remained unwavering in her commitment to justice.
She helped shape a new generation of female political leaders and was central to women’s rights progress.
Literary contribution
Her autobiography offers rare insight into Uganda’s political and social history through the eyes of a resilient woman of principle.
She leaves behind several children—three of whom predeceased her—and a nation shaped by her legacy of service and female empowerment.