Robinah Nabbanja
Who is Robinah Nabbanja?
What educational qualifications does Robinah Nabbanja have?
What other elected positions did Robinah Nabbanja hold before becoming prime minister?
Robinah Nabbanja (born December 17, 1969, Kamusenene, Uganda) has been the prime minister of Uganda since 2021 and is the first woman to hold that position since the country became independent in 1962. She has also served as an elected member of Parliament since 2011, first as the woman representative for Kibaale District (2011–16) and, since 2016, as the woman representative for Kakumiro District.
- Name: Robinah Nabbanja
- Born: December 17, 1969, Kamusenene, Uganda
- Office: Prime Minister of Uganda, 2021–
- Political Affiliation: National Resistance Movement
Early life and education
Nabbanja was raised in Kamusenene, now in Kakumiro District. After completing primary school, she attended St. Edward’s Secondary School Bukuumi and earned the Uganda Certificate of Education (1987) and the Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education (1990).
Between 1998 and 2000, Nabbanja earned several credentials, including a diploma in democracy and development studies from Uganda Martyrs University, a certificate in effective policy formulation and management from Islamic University in Uganda, a certificate in public administration and management from Uganda Management Institute, and a certificate in leadership skills and management from the National Leadership Institute in Kyankwanzi.
In 2013 Nabbanja received a bachelor’s degree in democracy and development studies from Uganda Martyrs University, and in 2023 she earned a master’s in monitoring and evaluation from Nkumba University in Kampala.
Political debut
In 1993 Nabbanja started working as a schoolteacher at Uganda Martyrs Secondary School in Kakumiro, a position she held for three years. She began her political career serving as district councillor for the Nkooko subcounty, in what was then Kibaale District, from 1998 through 2001. During that time she simultaneously held the position of secretary for health, gender, and community services for the district. Nabbanja then served as a resident district commissioner (2001–10) for the Pallisa, Budaka, and Busia districts.
Career in Parliament and as prime minister
Nabbanja entered national politics in 2011, when she successfully ran for Kibaale District’s woman representative seat in Uganda’s Parliament as a member of the ruling National Resistance Movement political party. She was reelected in 2016. Later that year Kibaale District was divided into three separate districts (Kagadi, Kibaale, and Kakumiro); as the elected Kibaale woman representative, she was allowed to choose which of the three new districts she wished to represent, and she chose Kakumiro. As a representative, Nabbanja served as the treasurer of the National Resistance Movement Parliamentary Caucus (2011–16) and as a parliamentary commissioner (2016–19).
During a cabinet reshuffle in December 2019, Nabbanja was appointed minister of state for health (general duties), a position assisting the minister of health. She assumed the position in January 2020. The next year Nabbanja was reelected to Kakumiro District’s woman representative seat.
The trusted destination for professionals, college students, and lifelong learners.
SUBSCRIBE
As Pres. Yoweri Museveni formed his new government after the 2021 elections, he appointed Nabbanja as prime minister on June 8, 2021, and her appointment was approved by Parliament within a week. She was sworn in on June 21, 2021. Nabbanja was reelected to her legislative seat in the 2026 elections, and she was reappointed as prime minister.
While prime minister, Nabbanja has promoted sustainable development not only in Uganda but also on a regional and international level. From 2025 to 2026 she served as the chair of the United Nations Africa Regional Forum on Sustainable Development.
Awards
In 2024 Nabbanja received the Global Inspirational Leadership Award from the United Kingdom-based Centre for Economic and Leadership Development, which bestows the honor upon women whose leadership has substantially contributed to gender equality, economic empowerment, and social justice.
Nabbanja received the African Female Leader of the Year award (2024) in February 2025 from the United Kingdom-based African Leadership Organization. She received the award in recognition of her dedication to good governance and commitment to driving Uganda’s socioeconomic development.