Specioza Kazibwe

Speciosa Kazibwe
Kazibwe in 2015
6thVice President of Uganda
In office 18 November 1994 – 21 May 2003
President	Yoweri Museveni
Preceded by	Samson Kisekka
Succeeded by	Gilbert Bukenya
Personal details
Born	(1954-07-01)1 July 1954 Iganga,Uganda
Political party	Democratic Party
Alma mater	Makerere University

Speciosa Naigaga Wandira Kazibwe(born 1 July 1954), is aUgandanpoliticianand first female vice president in Africa.She was the sixthvice president of Ugandafrom 1994 to 2003, making her the firstwomaninAfricato hold the position of vice-president of a sovereign nation. Dr. Speciosa Kazibwe is also aUgandansurgeon.She is also referred to as "Nnalongo", because of her twins.In August 2013, she was appointed byUnited Nations Secretary-GeneralBan Ki-moonasUnited Nations Special Envoy for HIV/AIDS in Africa.

Background and education

Speciosa Kazibwe was born inIganga Districton 1 July 1954. She attendedMount Saint Mary's College Namagunga,a prestigious all-female boarding high school affiliated with theCatholic Church,located on theKampala-Jinja Highway,near the town ofLugazi.In 1974 she enteredMakerere University School of Medicine,where she studied human medicine, graduating with theBachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgerydegree in 1979. She later obtained the degree ofMaster of Medicine,also from Makerere University Medical School, specializing inGeneral Surgery.In 2009, she was awarded the degree ofDoctor of Science(SD), byHarvard School of Public Health,Department of Population and International Health.

Work experience

Specioza Wandira Kazibwe (center, middle row)

Kazibwe began her political career as a Chairperson of Chairpersons of Halls of Residence at Makerere University Kampala (1975–76) - the equivalent of a University Guild President, which had been abolished by then President Idi Amin Dada. She later became a member of the youth and women's wings of the UgandanDemocratic Party.She won her first election as a village leader, on the ticket of theNational Resistance Movement(NRM) in 1987. She was later elected Women's Representative forKampala Districtand became Chairperson of the Advisory Committee forMuseveni'selection campaign.

She first began serving the administration ofYoweri Museveniin 1989, when she was appointed Deputy Minister for Industry, a post she held until 1991. From 1991 until 1994, she served as Minister for Gender and Community Development. She was a member of the Constitution Assembly which drafted Uganda's new constitution in 1994. In 1996, she was elected Member of Parliament for the constituency of Kigulu South inIganga District.From 1994 until 2003, SpeciosaKazibwe served as Uganda's Vice President and as Minister of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries.

Kazibwe has been an advocate for women in their position inAfrica.In collaboration with theOrganization of African Unityand theUnited Nations Economic Commission for Africa,she founded theAfrican Women Committee on Peace and Development(AWCPD) in 1998; an organization she has chaired. The objective of AWCPD is to help enable women's participation in peace and development processes on the continent. Dr. Kazibwe has also been chair or a member of various national interest groups, including:

• The Senior Women's Advisory Group on the Environment
• The Uganda Women Entrepreneurs Association Limited
• The Uganda Women Doctors Association
• Agri-Energy Roundtable Uganda (AER/U)

Kazibwe chaired the inaugural conference of the AER/Uganda on November 25, 1991 at the Kampala Sheraton and also served on the Committee of Honor of the Agri-Energy Roundtable (AER) for several years, gaining wide recognition. In 1998, theFood and Agriculture Organization(FAO) awarded her the "Ceres Medal" for her "contribution to food security and poverty eradication".

Personal details

In April 2002, Kazibwe filed for divorce from her husband, saying that she refused to be the victim of continueddomestic violence.Polygamy and wife beating are relatively common inUganda,but divorce is relatively rare. Her husband opposed the divorce, citing hisCatholicfaith, and saying that his wife had come home late without giving a proper explanation, and had joined with some other politicians he did not like.Finding it difficult to perform her political duties and deal with the increasingly messy divorce case, on Wednesday, 21 May 2003, Kazibwe stepped down from her positions in government, asking to be allowed to continue her studies. She completed a doctorate atHarvard University.She has four children including twins from her first marriage and has adopted several others.

External links

• About Domestic Abuse in Uganda