Rhoda Kalema

Rhoda Nakibuuka Nsibirwa Kalema (born May 1929) is a retired Ugandan female politician known as the country’s “Mother of Parliament”. Rhoda Kalema was one of 24 children of Martin Luther Nsibirwa who was twice appointed Katikkiro (Prime Minister) of the kingdom of Buganda in Uganda. She was born in May 1929 in the Buttikiro the official residence of the Katikkiro, in the Mengo neighbourhood of Kampala.

Kalema attended Gayaza Junior School for a year, and then King’s College Budo for the remainder of her primary and secondary schooling. She enrolled for a commercial course in secretarial training, and worked as secretary and bursar at Gayaza High School until 1949. In 1950, she married William Kalema a teacher at King’s College Budo who later became a renowned politician and Government Minister of Commerce. In 1955 she commenced a one year course in Social Work and Social Administration at Newbattle Abbey an Adult Education College in the United Kingdom, followed by a Diploma in Social Studies at the University of Edinburgh.