By Diana Kintu.
We mourn the passing of Canon Rhoda Nakibuuka Nsibirwa Kalema (10 May 1929 – 3 August 2025), a pioneering leader, unwavering advocate for women’s rights, and esteemed public servant.
Born on 10 May 1929 in the Butikkiro at Mengo, Rhoda was one of many children of Martin Luther Nsibirwa, who served twice as Buganda’s Katikkiro (Prime Minister). Even as a teenager.
She endured deep personal loss when her father was assassinated before Namirembe Cathedral in 1945, yet she rose from a grieving child to a steadfast pillar of her family and community.
Her education began at Gayaza Junior School, and continued at King’s College Budo. She then enroled in a commercial course in secretarial training and worked as secretary and bursar at Gayaza High School until 1949. She later proceeded to UK for a course in Social Work and Social Administration at Newbattle Abbey College, an adult education college in the United Kingdom, followed by a Diploma in Social Studies at the University of Edinburgh.
In 1950, Rhoda Kalema married William Wilberforce Kalema, a teacher at Kings’ College Budo who later became a renowned politician and Government Minister of Commerce for only two decades and later, her husband passed away during the brutal Amin regime—a loss that could have shattered her. Yet, she pressed onward.
After Amin’s fall in 1979, she joined the National Consultative Council, one of the very few women in that crucial body guiding Uganda back toward civilian rule.
She courageously co-founded the Uganda Patriotic Movement in 1980 and was arrested multiple times in the early 1980s, yet remained shaped by a steadfast sense of duty.
When President Museveni appointed her Deputy Minister of Public Service from 1989 to 1991, she used the position to quietly, powerfully open spaces for women in leadership.
In 1994, she won a seat in the Constituent Assembly-defeating eight male opponents with an overwhelming two-thirds of the vote-earning her the beloved title “Mother of Parliament.” Her example inspired many, including current leaders like Minister Ruth Nankabirwa.
Rhoda Kalema’s dedication did not go unnoticed. In 1996, the Forum for Women in Democracy named her a transformative leader, and in 2018 she received a lifetime achievement award from Pepperdine University and Uganda’s judiciary.
Her autobiography, My Life is but a Weaving, published in 2021, offers a moving account of her journey from royal childhood through trials of personal loss to public service and faith.
Cannon Rhoda Nakibuka Kalema passed away on 3 August 2025 at the age of 96 years old, among the mourners included. Rt. Hon. Annet Anita Among, while addressing Parliament on 5 August, described her as “a remarkable leader whose legacy will live after her demise”.
“She served in several cabinet positions, notably as Minister of Culture and Community Development and Deputy Minister for Public Service. “On behalf of Parliament and I, we extend our deepest condolences to the bereaved family, the people of Kiboga, and all the women of Uganda,” Among said, before leading the House in a moment of silence and Deputy Speaker Thomas Tayebwa called her “a woman of unique character and valour—down to earth and amiable”
True to her nature, she asked for no lavish burial tributes; instead, she directed resources towards Bamusuuta Primary and Secondary Schools in Kiboga and the Scripture Union, continuing her legacy of service even in death.
The late Canon Rhoda Kalema’s life was shaped by sorrow, yet defined by resilience, service, and mentorship. Her journey from tragedy to leadership, her unwavering faith, and her role in empowering countless Ugandan women speak to a legacy that continues to light the way. May her story-simple, strong, and human-remind us of all the difference one’s life, rooted in purpose and compassion, can make.