The body of Lay Canon Rhoda Nakibuuka Nsibirwa Kalema, a pioneering Ugandan politician and former Minister for Public Service, arrived this morning at Entebbe International Airport from Nairobi, where she passed away over the weekend following an illness. She was 96.
The body was received by A-Plus Funeral Services, officials from the Uganda Police Force and members of the Kalema family in a solemn early-morning ceremony. A distinguished public servant and a champion of women’s rights, Kalema’s return marks the beginning of official burial proceedings led by the Government of Uganda.
In recognition of her immense contribution to public service and the nation’s democratic development, President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has directed that she be accorded an Official Burial. A hybrid National Organizing Committee, chaired by Minister for the Presidency, Hon. Milly Babirye Babalanda, has been constituted in consultation with the Kalema family to oversee the arrangements.
According to the funeral program, a church service will be held at Namirembe Cathedral on Thursday, followed by her burial on Saturday in Kiboga District, her ancestral home. The Uganda Police Force will provide full honors, including a gun salute, during the burial ceremony.
In an emotional plenary sitting on Tuesday, August 5, the Parliament of Uganda joined the nation in mourning the death of Rhoda Kalema, who was hailed as a trailblazer in Uganda’s political history and a relentless advocate for women’s rights.
Speaker Anita Among opened the session with a heartfelt tribute, describing Kalema as “a remarkable leader whose legacy will live long 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 myself, we extend our deepest condolences to the bereaved family, the people of Kiboga, and all the women of Uganda,” Among stated before leading Members of Parliament in a moment of silence.
Kalema was one of the first two women to serve in the National Consultative Council (NCC) Uganda’s third Parliament between 1979 and 1980. She also represented Kiboga District in the Constituent Assembly that crafted the 1995 Constitution.
Christine Kaaya (NUP, Kiboga District) paid an emotional tribute, saying: “She was a mother, mentor, and strategist. When I was elected, she promised to support me for three more years and I thank God she lived to see them.”
Gorreth Namugga (NUP, Mawogola South), speaking on behalf of the Uganda Women Parliamentary Association (UWOPA), urged Parliament to honor Kalema’s legacy by advancing legislation on human rights protections.
“Her work in human rights should inspire us to pass legislation that protects migrant workers and vulnerable citizens. As women, we have lost a hero,” Namugga said. State Minister for Trade, David Bahati, confirmed that the government would release the detailed official burial programme on Wednesday. Speaker Among also directed that local leaders from Kiboga be fully involved in all funeral activities.
Born in 1929 to the former Buganda Katikkiro Martin Luther Nsibirwa, Kalema studied social work in the United Kingdom before returning home to serve during some of Uganda’s most turbulent political times. Her rise to prominence began in 1979, and over decades, she became a respected voice for democracy, women’s empowerment, and good governance.
Her burial on Saturday is expected to draw dignitaries, civil society leaders, and citizens from across the country a testament to the indelible mark she left on Uganda’s political and social fabric
