The body of Lay Canon Rhoda Nakibuuka Nsibirwa Kalema, former Minister for Public Service and revered elder stateswoman, arrived this morning at Entebbe International Airport from Nairobi, where she passed away over the weekend following an illness.
The body was received by representatives from A-Plus Funeral Services, the Uganda Police Force, and members of the Kalema family.
In honor of her distinguished public service, President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has directed that Kalema be accorded an Official Burial. The government has since constituted a hybrid National Organizing Committee chaired by the Minister for the Presidency, Milly Babirye Babalanda, in collaboration with the family.
According to the official funeral program, a church service will be held at Namirembe Cathedral on Thursday, followed by her burial on Saturday in Kiboga District. The Uganda Police Force will oversee all burial ceremonies, including a gun salute in her honor.
A Life of Service and Courage
Born in May 1929 at Butikkiro, the official residence of the Katikkiro of Buganda, Rhoda Kalema was the daughter of Martin Luther Nsibirwa, who served twice as Katikkiro (Prime Minister) of the Buganda Kingdom.
She received her early education at Gayaza Junior School and King’s College Budo, later completing a secretarial course that led to employment at Gayaza High School as secretary and bursar.
In 1950, she married William Kalema, a teacher who would go on to serve as a cabinet minister. His assassination during Idi Amin’s regime in 1972 marked a period of personal loss and political retreat for Rhoda. Yet, following Amin’s fall in 1979, she returned to public life with renewed conviction.
Her political journey began in 1961 when she joined the Uganda People’s Congress (UPC), introduced by Grace Ibingira and Adoko Nyekon. She served as Junior Minister for Culture and Community Development in the short-lived government of President Godfrey Binaisa.
In 1979, Kalema was appointed to the National Consultative Council (NCC) under the Uganda National Liberation Front, becoming one of only two women on the legislative body.
In 1980, she became a founding member of the Uganda Patriotic Movement (UPM)—a party that would later evolve into the National Resistance Movement (NRM). Despite being arrested multiple times in the early 1980s by the State Research Bureau, Kalema remained resolute in her advocacy for justice and democratic governance.
In 1989, she was appointed Deputy Minister for Public Service under President Museveni’s government. She went on to represent Kiboga District in the 1994 Constituent Assembly, defeating eight male contenders in a historic landslide victory.
A Legacy Beyond Politics
A devout Anglican and Lay Canon, Kalema was not only a political figure but also a mentor, particularly to women in leadership. Among those she guided is Hon. Ruth Nankabirwa, now Minister of Energy and Mineral Development.
Her contributions earned her numerous accolades, including recognition in 1996 by the Forum for Women in Democracy (FOWODE) as a “transformative leader.” In 2018, she received the Sudreau Global Justice Lifetime Achievement Award from Pepperdine University School of Law and the Ugandan Judiciary.
A Nation Mourns
Rhoda Kalema’s passing marks the end of an era for Uganda’s post-independence political and civic life. Her story is one of resilience, dignity, service, and trailblazing leadership in a space that often excluded women.
She leaves behind a legacy rooted not only in her public roles but also in her personal integrity, faith, and commitment to uplifting others.
