Namirembe Bitamazire lived a fulfilling career in public service

Geraldine Namirembe Bitamazire, a towering figure in Uganda’s education sector, passed away on January 14 at the age of 84.

A professional teacher, former head teacher, and member of parliament for Mpigi district, Bitamazire dedicated more than 50 years to shaping the nation’s learning landscape. Her distinguished career spanned roles as a senior education officer, deputy chairperson of the Teaching Service Commission, and culminated in her service as minister of Education and Sports.

She first served as state minister from 1979-1980 and again from 1998- 2004, before being appointed full minister from 2005 to 2011. Later, she served as a senior presidential advisor on Education, her name becoming synonymous with learning for generations of Ugandans.

In recent years, she had limited her public appearances due to her physical frailty and a struggle with her speech, which had become apparent. Her last major public role was as the second chancellor of the Uganda Management Institute (UMI), a position she held for four years and for which she was profoundly grateful.

LIFE OF OPEN DOORS

Eighteen months ago, The Observer’s Yudaya Nangonzi visited her Kiwafu-Kansanga home, where she had lived for more than 40 years. During perhaps her last media interview, she reflected on her life in retirement.

Notably, she had no security detail.

“I didn’t like security officers while serving as minister, but was coerced to have one. Still, my officers were usually plain-clothed because I didn’t want to scare people,” she said.

As a teacher at heart, she believed her home should be open to any good-hearted person. She spoke of beautifully enjoying her retirement, sustained by regular interactions with people of all ages, including her children and grandchildren.

“I have been a cancer survivor for 12 years now, although it affected my voice,” she said.

ENDURING PASSION FOR EDUCATION

Though retired from public office, her passion for education never dimmed. Her illustrious journey began in the rural village of Butambala, where education for a girl-child was a rare opportunity.

Thanks to parents who valued learning despite limited means, she developed an insatiable curiosity.

“I have the education sector at heart because my parents ensured that I studied at the best schools,” she said, gesturing to a library filled with books.

She was an avid reader of biographies, hoping to one day write her own, a project, sadly, left unfinished. Her career trajectory took her from the classroom to the highest ministerial office.

Appointed state minister in 1999, she vigorously championed the Universal Primary Education (UPE), a crusade that earned her the affectionate title, Maama UPE.

“I traversed every corner of the country encouraging parents to send children to school,” she recalled.

She later oversaw the rollout of Universal Secondary Education (USE) in 2007, firmly believing these programs opened doors for children who might otherwise have been overlooked.

While acknowledging that UPE still faces challenges in quality and infrastructure 27 years on, she remained its steadfast advocate.

“I know UPE graduates who are running serious government projects. Isn’t this good progress?” she asked.

She held onto hope for its improvement, notably with the promise of future oil revenues. One of her sons is Prof Patrick Kyamanywa, the vice chancellor of Uganda Martyrs University Nkozi. He said she raised the bar so high for them to work towards not bringing her name into disrepute.

“Each one of us has worked for their name and many people discovered later that we are her children. So, people know us for who we are not our parents, because we hardly fronted her or our late father,” he recalled.

“She was an ardent reader who would comb a book in less than three days and give you a summary. I relied on her most times for my news briefs because she read all newspapers between 8:30am and 11am. If there’s any story about me, she would call immediately to update me. For the bible, she read it more than 10 times back-to-back. This kept her alert and informed. We shall miss her.”

All in all, her life and career reflect the transformative power of education. She was not just a policymaker, but a lifelong teacher who believed in open doors, humble service and the boundless potential of every Ugandan child.

In appreciation of her work and impact on Uganda’s education sector, government has granted her an official burial slated for January 21.

Bitamazire quick facts

She was born July 17, 1941 in a rural setting in Butambala district.

She was a mother of seven with more than 10 grandchildren. In 1971, she got married to Alphonse Bitamazire, who died about seven years ago.

She attended Mitala Maria Primary School, Trinity College Nabbingo, and Makerere University for a diploma in Education, bachelor’s and master’s degree.

She also held a diploma in Planning and Management in Education from California, USA.

She did several education-related short courses in and out of the country.

She served as director of the East African Harbors Corporation in the 70s, former head teacher at Tororo Girls’ School, professional teacher, senior education officer, and deputy chairperson of the Teaching Service Commission, among others.

She served as state minister and full minister of Education and sports from 1979 to 1980, 1998 to 2004 and 2005 to 2011.

She is a former Woman MP for Mpigi, serving three terms since 1996. l In 2013, she was appointed sec- ond chancellor of Uganda Management Institute for four years.

At the time of her death, she was a senior presidential advisor on Education.