JESSICA ALUPO AND ROBINAH NABBANJA: Who are the two most powerful women in Uganda today?

Parliament today vets Jessica Alupo and Robinah Nabbanja on their appointment as Vice president and Prime Minister respectively. But who are the two ladies? Here is a closer look at the profiles of the two.

JESSICA ALUPO – VICE PRESIDENT

Katakwi Woman MP Hon. Jessica Alupo was on Tuesday appointed by President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni as the new Vice President for the next 5 years.

Alupo replaces H.E Edward Kiwanuka Ssekandi who has deputized the President for the last 10 years.

She becomes the second female Vice President of Uganda, after Dr. Specioza Wandera Kazibwe who first served in the same position before.

Jessica Rose Epel Alupo, commonly known as Jessica Alupo, is the new Vice President of the Republic of Uganda (2021 – 2026).

She is a Ugandan politician, educator, and former military officer. She has served in Uganda’s cabinet as minister of education since 2011. She is also an elected Member of Parliament who serves as Katakwi District’s women’s representative.

Educational background

Born on 23rd May 1974, Jessica Alupo attended Apuuton Katakwi Primary School. She then attended Kangole Girls School for her O-Level studies.  She then attended Ngora High School for her A-Level education.

Alupo trained as a high school canteen attendant before she underwent the officer cadet course at the Uganda Junior Staff College in Jinja.

Alupo holds a Bachelor of Arts in political science and linguistics, obtained in 1997 from Makerere University. Her first master’s degree, the Master of Arts in international relations and diplomacy, was also obtained from Makerere University in 2008.

The 47-yr-old politician also holds a Diploma in public administration and management, obtained in 2008 from the Uganda Management Institute (UMI). Her second master’s degree is the Masters in public administration and management, obtained in 2009, also from Makerere University.

Over the years, Jessica Alupo has been employed in various capacities including:

1. As a teacher at the Katakwi High School in the town of Katakwi, Katakwi District, Eastern Region of Uganda
2. As an instructor at the Uganda Urban Warfare Training School, Singo, Nakaseke District, Central Region of Uganda
3. As an intelligence officer at the Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence, in Kampala.

Political Career

In 2001, Jessica Alupo entered politics as a candidate for the Katakwi District women’s representative. She ran on the National Resistance Movement (NRM) ticket of her political party. She won the election and was subsequently re-elected in 2006. In 2009, she was appointed as State Minister for Youth and Children Affairs.  

ROBINAH NABBANJA – PRIME MINISTER

Robinah Nabbanja was nominated/appointed as Prime Minister and Leader of Government Business in Parliament- designate, by HE President Yoweri Museveni on 8th June 2021.

She will become the 11th person and first female, to occupy the office since Uganda became independent in 1962.

Before this nomination, Nabbanja was the Minister of State for Health in charge of General Duties, a position she was appointed to on 14th December 2019.

Nabbanja was born and raised in Kamusenene village, Nkooko Sub County in present-day Kakumiro District, Bunyoro, Western Uganda on 17 December 1969.

She attended Nkooko Primary School before joining St. Edward’s Secondary School Bukuumi, for both her O-Level and A-Level studies.

Between 1990 and 2000, Nabbanja obtained certificates and diplomas in leadership, management and development studies, from various institutions, including Uganda Martyrs University, Uganda Management Institute, the Islamic University in Uganda and the National Leadership Institute Kyankwanzi.

She later obtained a Bachelor of Democracy and Development Studies Degree from Uganda Martyrs University in 2013.

Career
From 1993 until 1996, Nabbanja was a school teacher at Uganda Martyrs Secondary School Kakumiro.

She then served as a District Councillor, representing Nkooko Sub-County, in what was Kibaale District at the time, from 1998 until 2001.

During that period, she concurrently served as the Secretary for Health, Gender and Community Services for the district.

For 10 years (2001–2010) she served as a Resident District Commissioner in the districts of Pallisa, Busia and Budaka, before joining elective politics in 2011, when she successfully contested for Kibaale District Woman Representative in the 9th Parliament (2011–2016).

When Kakumiro District was created in 2016, she successfully contested for the Woman Representative seat for the new district. She is currently the Woman MP for Kakumiro District, having won re-election for the same seat in the January 2021 elections.

During her time in Parliament, she served as Treasurer of the NRM Caucus (2011-2016), and as a Parliamentary Commissioner (2016-2019).

Nabbanja Robinah is currently a first-year Master’s student of Monitoring and Evaluation at Nkumba University, Kampala Campus.

Nabbanja is passionate about community mobilization and effective service delivery.