KAMPALA; President Yoweri Museveni has granted an official burial to the late former Minister of Education and Sports and Woman Member of Parliament for Mpigi District, Geraldine Namirembe Bitamazire.
“The National Organising Committee (NOC) is working closely with the family to organize a befitting send-off for this distinguished daughter of Uganda. The burial is scheduled for Wednesday, January 21, 2026, in Butambala District,” the Minister for the Presidency, Milly Babalanda, said.
Bitamazire had a long and distinguished career in public service, particularly in the education sector. Between 1971 and 1973, she served as a director of the East African Harbours Corporation under the first East African Community.
She was headteacher of Tororo Girls School from 1971 to 1974 before serving as a senior education officer in the Ministry of Education and Sports from 1974 to 1979.
In 1979, Bitamazire was appointed Minister of Education, a position she held until 1980. She later served as Deputy Chairperson of the Teaching Service Commission from 1981 to 1996, playing a key role in shaping Uganda’s education workforce.
Her ministerial career continued when she was appointed Minister of State for Education in 1999, a position she held until 2005. She was later elevated to full Minister of Education and Sports, a role she served in until 2011.
Following the creation of new districts from the former Mpigi District, including Butambala and Gomba, Bitamazire contested in the 2011 National Resistance Movement (NRM) party primaries in Butambala District but was defeated by Mariam Nalubega.
In the cabinet reshuffle of May 27, 2011, Bitamazire was dropped from the cabinet and replaced by Jessica Alupo.
In her later years, Bitamazire continued to serve in academia and public administration as Chancellor of the Uganda Management Institute (UMI), a public degree-awarding tertiary institution accredited at university level.
Bitamazire is remembered as a dedicated educationist, public servant, and trailblazer whose contribution to Uganda’s education sector spanned several decades.
Bitamazire was married to the late Alphonce Bitamazire of the Uganda People’s Defence Force (UPDF) and was a loyal cadre of the National Resistance Movement (NRM).
She is survived by seven children three daughters and four sons and at least ten grandchildren.
A Requiem Mass will be celebrated today, Tuesday, January 20, 2026, at Lubaga Cathedral, starting at 10:00 a.m., followed by a vigil at the family home in Butambala.
She will be laid to rest on Wednesday, January 21, 2026, at Butambala–Kibugga, Masaka, with burial rites beginning with Holy Mass at 10:00 a.m.
Since news of her passing broke, tributes have poured in from government leaders, educationists, former students, and ordinary Ugandans, all hailing Bitamazire as a trailblazer, mentor, and selfless public servant whose legacy will continue to shape Uganda’s education sector for generations.
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