Nabbanja: From councillor to premier- VIDEO

Tuesday night closed with news of new Cabinet appointments by President Museveni.

But for Kakumiro, Wednesday morning broke with the hot news of the appointment of Ms Robinah Nabbanja as Prime Minister.

The talk was that their daughter deserved it all for her resilience, hard work and commitment.

Nicknamed Majegere (bulldozer) by her admirers for her shrewd political mobilisation skills, Ms Nabbanja had a humble beginning.

Born on December 17, 1969, to late John Kayira and Ms Nzeremeri Nakato,  Ms Nabbanja was raised in Kamusenene Village, Nkooko Sub-county in Kakumiro District, Bunyoro Sub-region, western Uganda.

Ms Nabbanja’s long walk to politics started when she contested for a district council seat to represent Nkooko Sub-county in Kibaale District Council from 1996 until 2001.

At the time, Kakumiro had not yet been carved out of Kibaale District.

But before politics, Ms Nabbanja had a stint as a school teacher at Uganda Martyrs Secondary School in Kakumiro from 1993 to 1996.

As a district councillor, in 1998, Ms Nabbanja became district secretary for health, gender and community services for Kibaale District.

But her direct involvement with the central government kicked off in 2001 when President Museveni appointed her to work as a Resident District Commissioner (RDC) and she went through the paces in the districts of Pallisa, Busia and Budaka up to 2010.

But while serving as an RDC, Ms Nabbanja was also setting her eyes on things higher up.

In 2006, she contested for Kibaale District Woman MP but lost.

Undeterred, Ms Nabanja again entered the fray in 2011, contesting for Kibaale District Woman MP in the 9th Parliament, winning and serving out her term until 2016.

When the government carved Kakumiro District out of Kibaale District in 2016, Ms Nabanja saw a golden chance.

She crossed to Kakumiro District and contested for the District Woman MP seat, winning the race twice in 2016 and 2021.

Ms Nabanja at the time of her appointment as the first female Prime Minister, had just started serving her second term in the 11th Parliament.

Shortly upon hearing the news of her appointment, Ms Nabanja addressed journalists in Kakumiro Town Council.

She said she was told by some people that she had been appointed Prime Minister and she thought it was the usual social media banter or fake news.

‘‘When I got information that I am now the newly-appointed Prime Minister of Uganda, I first thought this is the usual social media joke because I have never expected to be in this position. I have a humble background, but I want to thank God for this opportunity to serve my country. I want to thank my President (Museveni) and I am ready to serve in this deployment. I want to promise that I will serve this county with all my heart in a transparent manner,” a visibly excited Nabanja said.

She describes her new appointment as a great surprise from the President.

“God is great and I thank Him endlessly. Who knew it? The President has given me a great surprise!”

What others say about her

Her mother

Her mother, Ms Nakato, said her daughter was nurtured well and has no doubt on her new appointment, saying she has the capacity to serve the country as Prime Minister.

“I nurtured my child very well. All the time she has been hard working and she studied and passed well. She was always peaceful and she will lead you well. I pray that God keeps my daughter moving on well and all those who are serving with her,” Ms Nakato says.

Her husband

Ms Nabanja’s husband, Mr Hassan Musafiri, who is the former chairman of Nkooko Sub-county, Kakumiro District, says he supported his wife’s education after marrying her and encouraged her to join politics.

“I married her in 1990 after she had completed Senior Six and we started working in the trade business,” he says.

“I decided to take her for further studies at Mubende National Teachers College after I bought her a motorcycle and rented for her a house in Mubende Town. But she did not like teaching. I taught her the business of selling produce like coffee,” Mr Musafiri says.

Delving into politics

Musafiri told his wife to join politics and he convinced her because at that time she was in business with no dream of joining politics.

“I asked her to join politics but she was hesitant as she was always preoccupied with business, but she later accepted to contest as a directly elected district councillor for Nkooko in 1996 and she won,” Mr Musafiri says.

Mr Musafiri says when Ms Nabanja was dropped from the district executive committee, he lobbied then State Minister for Agriculture, Mr Baguma Isoke, who was also the Buyanja County MP in Kibaale District, to canvass for her the post of deputy Resident District Commissioner.

“Her foundation in politics was built with my efforts. I thank God for her new appointment and I also feel great for mentoring my wife who has reached this level and I urge her to serve the nation with honesty,” Mr Musafiri says.

Ms Nabanja’s colleague at Kibaale District Council then, now the executive secretary of the Departed Asians Properties Custodian Board, Mr George William Bizibu, describes her as a strong mobiliser.

“I worked with Ms Nabanja from 1998 to 2001 on the district executive where she was the secretary for health and gender. Our district chairman then was late Sebastian Sekitoleko. She was a hard working woman and at that time, we were developing our new district of Kibaale because it had just been carved out of Hoima District. We worked and lobbied for people and a number of roads were worked on, including the Kibaale-Mubende, Kagadi-Hoima roads,” he says.

He says Ms Nabanja actively lobbied for the construction of some seed schools, including Mpeefu, Nyamarwa, and Kisiita with the help of Irish Aid.’’

Mr Bizibu says by President Museveni appointing Ms Nabanja to the high office of Prime Minister, it gives hope to other leaders who have been working with her in the region.

“We have worked with Ms Nabanja as local leaders and we know her track record of service delivery. We have lived to see her rise from being a district councillor, to RDC, MP, minister and now she is the Prime Minister. All her achievements are visible. She has been loyal to the mother party (NRM) and her elevation gives us hope that we, who have been working with her, will also one time be rewarded and keep the cooperation high,” Mr Bizibu says.

Mr Abubakar Birungi, the Rukungiri deputy Resident District Commissioner and a resident of Birembo Sub-county in Kakumiro District, says Ms Nabanja’s appointment as a Prime Minister comes with opportunities for people of Bunyoro Sub-region.

“She should handle the issues of unemployment in the region. Local leaders in Kakumiro should start working together if this position is to benefit us,” he says.

Ms Oliva Kabatoro, the Katikara Sub-county women chairperson, says: “I expect a lot from our Prime Minister. I want her to work for the common people, more especially women in villages. She has already constructed health centres that are helping women and children. I expect her to continue doing that.”

Background

Education

●   Ms Nabanja attended Nkooko Primary School

●   Joined St Edward’s Secondary School Bukuumi, for both O-Level and A-Level studies.

●   Undertook Uganda Certificate of Education at St Edwards Bukumi SS between 1984 and 1987.

●   Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education at St Edwards Bukumi SS, 1988-1990

●   Diploma in Democracy and Development Studies, Uganda Martyrs’ University, 2006 -2008,

●   Degree in Democracy and Development Studies, Uganda Martyrs’ University, 2006-2010.

●   Ongoing Master of Arts Monitoring & Evaluation, Nkumba University.

Work record

●   Minister of State for Health General Duties, 2019 to June 2021

●   Kakumiro District Woman MP from 2011 to date

●   Parliamentary Commissioner, Parliamentary Commission, Parliament of Uganda, 2016 to Dec 2019.

●   Treasurer, NRM Parliamentary Caucus, 2011 – 2016

●   Resident District Commissioner, Busia, Budaka and Pallisa districts, 2001 to 2010

●   District Councillor, Nkooko Sub-county/ secretary for health and gender, Kibaale District Local Government, 1996-2001.

●   Represented Uganda at the African, Caribbean, Pacific, European Union (ACPEU), 2013.

●   Managing Director, Kakumiro Community Radio Ltd, 2014– Present.