Barbara Nekesa Oundo is a

Uganda }), is a landlocked country in East Africa East Africa, Eastern Africa, or East of Africa, is the eastern subregion of the African continent. In the United Nations Statistics Division scheme of geographic regions, 10-11-(16*) territor ...

politician A politician is a person active in party politics, or a person holding or seeking an elected office in government. Politicians propose, support, reject and create laws that govern the land and by an extension of its people. Broadly speaking, a ...

and

diplomat A diplomat (from grc, δίπλωμα; romanized ''diploma'') is a person appointed by a state or an intergovernmental institution such as the United Nations or the European Union to conduct diplomacy with one or more other states or internati ...

, who serves as Uganda's High Commissioner to

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...

, based in

Pretoria Pretoria () is South Africa's administrative capital, serving as the seat of the Executive (government), executive branch of government, and as the host to all foreign embassies to South Africa. Pretoria straddles the Apies River and extends ...

. In that capacity, she also represents her country, to the nations of South Africa,

Botswana Botswana (, ), officially the Republic of Botswana ( tn, Lefatshe la Botswana, label=Setswana, ), is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. Botswana is topographically flat, with approximately 70 percent of its territory being the Kalahar ...

Namibia Namibia (, ), officially the Republic of Namibia, is a country in Southern Africa. Its western border is the Atlantic Ocean. It shares land borders with Zambia and Angola to the north, Botswana to the east and South Africa to the south and ea ...

Lesotho Lesotho ( ), officially the Kingdom of Lesotho, is a country landlocked country, landlocked as an Enclave and exclave, enclave in South Africa. It is situated in the Maloti Mountains and contains the Thabana Ntlenyana, highest mountains in Sou ...

and

Swaziland Eswatini ( ; ss, eSwatini ), officially the Kingdom of Eswatini and formerly named Swaziland ( ; officially renamed in 2018), is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. It is bordered by Mozambique to its northeast and South Africa to its no ...

. She previously served as the state minister for

Karamoja Karamoja sub-region, commonly known as Karamoja, is a region in Uganda. It covers an area of 27,528km and comprises Kotido District, Kaabong District, Karenga District, Nabilatuk District Abim District, Moroto District, Napak District, Amu ...

affairs in the

Cabinet of Uganda There are 32 Cabinet ministers and 50 Ministers of State in the Cabinet of Uganda (2021 to 2026). According to Section 111 of the 1995 Constitution of Uganda, as amended in 2005, "There shall be a Cabinet which shall consist of the President, t ...

. She was appointed to that position on 27 May 2011. She replaced

Janet Museveni Janet Kainembabazi Museveni (''née'' Kataaha; born June 24, 1948) is a Ugandan politician who has been the First Lady of Uganda since 1986. She is married to President Yoweri Museveni, with whom she has four children. She has been Cabinet Minis ...

, who was appointed minister for Karamoja affairs. Oundo has also served as the elected

member of Parliament A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house members of ...

for

Busia District Busia District is a district in the Eastern region of Uganda. Location Busia District borders Tororo District to the north, Busia County, Kenya to the east, amyingoto the south, and to the south-west, and Bugiri District to the west. Busia, Ug ...

women's representative in the 9th parliament (2011 to 2016).

Background and education

She was born in Busia District in the Eastern Region on 6 June 1984 to Mary Hadudu, mother to nine other girls and Edward Wabudi, a local councillor. She attended the Bubulo Girls School in

Mbale Mbale is a city in the Eastern Region of Uganda. It is the main municipal, administrative, and commercial center of Mbale District and the surrounding sub-region. Location Mbale is approximately , by road, northeast of Kampala, Uganda's capita ...

for her middle school education (O-Level) and Mbogo High School in

Kawempe Kawempe is an area in the city of Kampala, Uganda's capital. It is also the location of the headquarters of Kawempe Division, one of the five administrative divisions of Kampala. Location Kawempe is located on the northwestern edge of Kampala. ...

for her high school studies (A-Level). In 2009, she graduated from

Makerere University Makerere University, Kampala (; Mak) is Uganda's largest and oldest institution of higher learning, first established as a technical school in 1922. It became an independent national university in 1970. Today, Makerere University is composed of ni ...

in Uganda with a Bachelor of

Human Resources Human resources (HR) is the set of people who make up the workforce of an organization, business sector, industry, or economy. A narrower concept is human capital, the knowledge and skills which the individuals command. Similar terms include m ...

Management degree.

Career and family

Since 2007, she was married to Charles Oundo, a foreign service officer, whom she met while an undergraduate at Makerere University. They are the parents of two sons. In 2011, she successfully ran on the

National Resistance Movement The National Resistance Movement ( sw, Harakati za Upinzani za Kitaifa; abbr. NRM) has been the ruling party in Uganda since 1986. History The National Resistance Movement (NRM) was founded as a liberation movement that waged a guerrilla ...

(NRM) political party ticket for the parliamentary Busia district women's constituency seat. In May 2011, she was appointed state minister for Karamoja affairs, reporting directly to

, Uganda's first lady and, at the time, minister for Karamoja affairs. In 2017, she divorced her first husband, Charles Oundo. In December 2018, she was married to Hajji Suleiman Lumolo Mafabi, a businessman, based in

, in the Eastern Region of Uganda. The private ceremony took place at their home in

Muyenga Muyenga is a hill in Kampala, the capital city, capital of Uganda and the largest city in that country. The name also applies to the upscale community that sits on that hill. Location Muyenga is located in Makindye Division, one of the five admin ...

, an upscale neighborhood in Kampala, Uganda's capital city. She is the current appointed National Treasurer of the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) Amb.

Loss of political positions

In November 2015 during the NRM primaries, incumbent Oundo received 28,750 votes while her closest challenger, Nina Irene Nekesa Wandera, received 25,443 votes. Wandera then petitioned the party's electoral commission with alleged evidence of electoral malpractice by Oundo. During the 2016 parliamentary elections, Oundo lost to incumbent Jane Nabulindo Kwoba, who ran as an independent. In the cabinet list released by the Office of the President on 6 June 2016, Oundo was not included.

References

External links

Full Ministerial Cabinet List, May 2011
{{DEFAULTSORT:Oundo, Barbara Nekesa Living people People from Busia District, Uganda Samia people People from Eastern Region, Uganda Members of the Parliament of Uganda Makerere University alumni 1984 births National Resistance Movement politicians Women government ministers of Uganda Government ministers of Uganda 21st-century Ugandan women politicians 21st-century Ugandan politicians Women members of the Parliament of Uganda High Commissioners of Uganda to South Africa Ugandan women ambassadors