Women and Adversity: 21st Century Women
Robinah Nabbanja
First Woman Prime Minister of Uganda
Talk about wading into unknown waters! Except for Idi Amin, I don’t know anything about Uganda. Its governing bodies and education system are different from the U.S. and can be difficult to understand. Add the spellings and pronunciations of names, and I must be extra careful with details.
First, Uganda is a landlocked country in eastern Africa with a population of about 35 million people. It ranks 19 on the list of the 20 poorest countries in the world. Under 25 percent of children attend secondary school.
Robinah Nabbanja (pronounced Robinah′ Na ban′ ya), was appointed Prime Minister of Uganda by President Yoweri Museveni, and Parliament approved the appointment in June 2021. She is the first woman to hold that office since Uganda gained its independence in 1962. As Prime Minister she is chair of the Cabinet.
Why would Museveni appoint her? The two have a history of sorts. She greeted him when he came to visit her school before he was president, and her uncle protected him when he was being pursued by government soldiers during the Bush Wars of the 80s.
Positives about Nabbanja:
- Advocates for improving education
- Listens to what the people want
- Wants to stamp out corruption in the government
Negatives:
- Accused of interfering with the job of the minister of relief disaster
- Had a journalist suspended for leaking a clip in which she lost her train-of-thought mid-address
- Cost the government $3 billion for diverting COVID funds to those who earn money in cities
Nabbanja Bio:
- Born December 17, 1969, the 7th of 11 children
- Received her Ordinary Level and Advanced level education from St. Edward’s Secondary School Bukuumi
- Received diplomas and certificates in leadership, management and development studies from Uganda Martyrs University and other institutions
- Earned a bachelor’s degree in Democracy and Development Studies from Uganda Martyrs University
- Married Hassan Musafiri in 1990
- The couple have two daughters
Career:
- Taught at Uganda Martyrs Secondary School from 1993-1996
- Served in various government capacities until she chose to enter elective politics in 2011
- Contested the woman’s representative in Kibaale District and served from 2011-2016
- Became the woman representative for Kakumiro District when it was created in 2016
- Was appointed Minister of State for Health in charge of General Duties in 2019
- Won re-election to the seat of woman representative for Kakumiro District in January 2021
No one is free of missteps, but Nabbanja could be a beacon of progress for Uganda. She might be in line for the presidency.
Learn more about Nabbanja:
PM Nabbanja orders audit into Nakaseke officials – YouTube
PM Nabbanja wants no-show health workers punished | Monitor
Peter Ogwang: 10 Reasons why Robinah Nabbanja is the Right Choice for Prime Minister
READERS: WHAT IS YOUR IMPRESSION OF ROBINAH NABBANJA? ESPECIALLY LIKE BECAUSE_______? DISLIKE BECAUSE_______? LET ME KNOW.
This fine, insightful piece sheds light into a world of struggle beyond the comprehension of most members of developed societies.
Acknowledging the missteps taken as she learned to walk a fine line on her journey, here we learn that Uganda Prime Minister Nabbanja, a former teacher, listened along the way and created her own path shining path.