Miria Obote

Miria Obote
First Lady of Uganda
In office
17 December 1980 – 27 July 1985
PresidentMilton Obote
In office
15 April 1966 – 25 January 1971
PresidentMilton Obote
Succeeded bySarah Kyolaba
Personal details
Born
Miria Kalule

(1936-07-16) 16 July 1936 (age 87)
Kampala, Uganda Protectorate

Miria Obote (née Kalule; born 16 July 1936) is a Ugandan politician who was first lady of Uganda, and widow of former Prime Minister and President Milton Obote. She was a candidate in the 2006 Ugandan general election.[1]

Background and Education[edit]

Miria Kalule was born in Kawempe, to Bulasio Kalule, a civil servant who worked with the Department of Road Maintenance in the Ministry of Works[2] and his wife Malita.[3]

She attended Gayaza High School and later Makerere University.[4][5]

Miria Obote returned to Uganda from Zambia in October 2005,[6] after 20 years in exile, to bury her husband.[7] Two months later, she was elected as head of the Uganda People's Congress (UPC) and as its presidential candidate for the next election. The UPC was founded by her husband[8] and led by him until his death. She garnered 0.6% of the vote in the February 23, 2006 presidential election, which was won by the sitting president, Yoweri Museveni.

Personal life[edit]

Miria married Milton Obote in November 1963[9][10] and they had 4 children between them including Jimmy Akena, a Member of Parliament representing Lira Municipality.[11]

Her husband, Milton Obote, died on 10 October 2005 in Johannesburg, South Africa, at the age of 79; and received a state funeral in Kampala, Uganda, attended by President Yoweri Museveni.[12][13]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Dunleavy, Patrick; Diwakar, Rekha (2011-09-11). "Analysing multiparty competition in plurality rule elections" (PDF). Party Politics. 19 (6): 855–886. doi:10.1177/1354068811411026. ISSN 1354-0688. S2CID 18840573.
  2. ^ "Miria shared a life with Obote for 40 years". www.newvision.co.ug. Retrieved 2019-07-11.
  3. ^ @watchdoguganda (2018-11-16). "Miria Kalule Obote fights for life to retain record as the only living former First Lady". Watchdog Uganda. Retrieved 2019-07-11.
  4. ^ "The First Lady who dared to replace her husband". www.newvision.co.ug. Retrieved 2019-07-11.
  5. ^ Independent, The (2012-07-01). "Meeting Mama Miria". The Independent Uganda. Retrieved 2019-07-11.
  6. ^ "Miria shared a life with Obote for 40 years". www.newvision.co.ug. Retrieved 2019-06-01.
  7. ^ "Obote buried in Ugandan home town". 2005-10-24. Retrieved 2019-06-01.
  8. ^ Independent, The (2015-07-19). "Like Obote, like son". The Independent Uganda. Retrieved 2019-06-01.
  9. ^ "UPC ..::|::.. Uganda Peoples Congress". www.upcparty.net. Retrieved 2019-07-11.
  10. ^ "The First Lady who dared to replace her husband". www.newvision.co.ug. Retrieved 2019-07-11.
  11. ^ "Parliament of Uganda". www.parliament.go.ug. Retrieved 2019-07-11.
  12. ^ Nye, Louis (12 October 2005). "Obituaries: Milton Obote of Uganda". The New York Times.
  13. ^ Marshall, Julian (11 October 2005). "Milton Obote". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077.
Preceded by President of the Uganda People's Congress
2005-2010
Succeeded by