Uganda@54: The First Ladies since independence

Behind every successful man there is a woman; Uganda has had eight presidents since she attained independence on that Tuesday of 9th October 1962. Below are the women who stood behind them and shaped the country's history as well as destiny.

Nabakyala Damali Catherine Nnakawombe
The Nabagereka and daughter of Christopher Kisosonkole of the Nkima clan wedded Kabaka Edward Luwangula Walugembe Mutesa II on November 19, 1948 at St. Paul's Cathederal, Namirembe. She was the first of the Kabaka's twelve wives and Uganda's original first lady.

Lady Damalie Catherine Nabagereka

Miria Kalule Obote, 1966-1971/ 1979-1986
She was the wife of Dr. Apollo Milton Obote who was Uganda's first prime minister from 1962- 1966. Miria became Uganda's second first lady in 1966 when her husband was made second president of the country. She held the position until 1971 when he was overthrown by Idi Amin.

Dr. Apollo Milton Obote and his wife Miria Kalule Obote

 
However Obote returned in 1979 after Amin's overthrow and ruled Uganda until 1986 when he was toppled again by Tito Okello. After her husband was overthrown again, Miria and her family went into exile in Zambia and returned to Uganda in 2005 to bury her husband who died in exile as a result of kidney failure.

Miria Obote Kalule (left) swearing in as new party President of the Uganda Peoples Congress (UPC) after being elected the at Christ the King Hall Kampala on November 28, 2005.

 
After two months, she was elected as head of the Uganda People's Congress (UPC) a party founded by her husband and fronted as its presidential candidate for the country's elections in February 2006. She garnered 0.6 percent of the vote which was won by President Yoweri Museveni.

Idi Amin's wives, 1971-1979
Idi Amin Dada became Uganda's third president in January 1971 after deposing Milton Obote in a military coup and later promoted himself to field Marshal. Amin was a polygamist who married atleast six women, three of whom he divorced. He married his first and second wives Malyamu and Kay in 1966, Nora in 1967 and Nalongo Madina in 1972.

Madina Amin speaking at a party for president's children on January 31, 1978

 
On 26 March 1974, Uganda woke up to the news that Amin had divorced Malyamu, Nora and Kay on Radio Uganda. The next month Malyamu was arrested in Tororo on the Kenyan boarder and accused of attempting to smuggle fabric in Kenya; she later moved to London where she runs a restaurant in East London. Kay Amin on the other hand died under mysterious circumstances while Nora fled to Zaire in 1979 and her current whereabouts are unknown.

Idi Amin Dada and his wife Sarah Kyolaba

 
Amin did not nurse his broken heart for long, a year later he married 19 year old Sarah Kyolaba, a go-go dancer with the Revolutionary Suicide Regiment Band. The two million pound wedding was held during the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) summit meeting held in Kampala. Kyolabo bore Amin four children; she died in 2015 after working as a hairdresser in Tottenham.

Sarah Amin at Nile Hotel on December 12, 1975

Sarah Kyolaba Amin was laid to rest in 2015

 
Hannah Lule 13 April 1979- 20 June 1979
She was the wife of Uganda's shortest serving president of Uganda Yusuf Kironde Lule who held the highest office in the land for a record 68 days. Together they had many children and grandchildren and one of their sons Wasswa Lule became Member of Parliament for Rubaga North.

Hannah Lule

Hanna died in May 28 2011.

Irene Marjorie Kabamoli Binaisa, June 1979-1980
Marjorie, a professional nurse was married to Godfrey Binaisa was first lady of Uganda when the country was recovering from Idi Amin's reign and the Tanzanian troops controlled much of the country.

Kampala was awash with all kinds of artillery, murders, robberies and looting were the order of the day. This was in addition to internal acrimony against his presidency.

It is no wonder that during her funeral service in 2003 at Namirembe cathederal in Kampala, then minister of State for Health Mike Mukula described the deceased as a courageous woman who served Uganda when the country was going through difficult economic and political times. She passed away after battling breast cancer.

Marjorie was Binaisa's second wife after his first marriage to Ruth Namakula in 1945.

Esther Okello 29 July 1985-26 January 1986
She was the wife of Tito Lutwa Okello who together with Bazilio Olara-Okello staged the coup d'etat that ousted President Milton Obote. Okello ruled as president for six months until he was overthrown by the National Resistance Army (NRA) under the stewardship of current president Yoweri Museveni. After he was overthrown; Okello went into exile in various countries before his death in 1996 aged 82 years.

Okello Esther

She is also the mother of Henry Oryem Okello, the minister for foreign affairs.
Esther passed away in March 2002 at Mulago hospital.

Janet Kataaha Museveni, 1986 uptodate
Mama Janet as she is fondly known became Uganda's First Lady in 1986 when her husband President Yoweri Museveni overthrew Tito Okello Lutwa. Together they have four children.

She founded Uganda Women's Effort to Save Orphans a private relief agency and has been instrumental in the Elimination of Mother to Child Transmission (EMTCT) of HIV in the country.

First Lady and Minister of Education and Sports, Mrs. Janet Museveni

 
In November 2005, Janet decided to join active politics and announced that she would seek the parliamentary seat of Ruhaama County in the 2006 February general elections. She won and was re-elected in March 2011.

Janet then went on to hold ministerial posts as the state minister for Karamoja affairs in 2009, minister for Karamoja affairs in 2011 and currently minister of education and sports.

President Yoweri Museveni and the First Lady, Janet Kataha Museveni renewing their marriage vows during their 40th wedding anniversary in August 2013. Photo/File

She has documented her life's story in her memoir My life's journey which was published in 2011.