Kadaga Earns Top African Leadership Award for Championing Good Governance

Uganda’s First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for East African Affairs, Rebecca Kadaga, has been honored with the Africa Women’s Good Governance Award during a prestigious ceremony in Marrakesh, Morocco.

The continental accolade celebrates Kadaga’s decades-long commitment to public service, spotlighting her integrity, transparency, and trailblazing leadership that has opened doors for women across Uganda and Africa.

Organizers of the award praised her historic achievements—most notably her two-term tenure as Speaker of Uganda’s Parliament—and her unrelenting advocacy for women’s representation in leadership and legal reform.

Taking to her official X (formerly Twitter) account, Kadaga dedicated the award to her constituents and to FIDA Uganda, an organization she worked with to launch the country’s first legal aid service.

“I dedicate this award to my electorate, FIDA Uganda, the MPs of the 7th to 10th Parliament, CWP (Africa and International), and IPU, where we broke barriers in women’s representation,” she posted.

She also paid tribute to her colleagues in the 7th to 10th Parliaments, as well as her work with the Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians and the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU)—platforms where she has long championed gender equality and democratic participation.

The event brought together a high-profile lineup of dignitaries from across the continent and the diaspora, including First Lady of Yobe State Hajia Aishatou, Ms. Adesoji of Michigan State University, and Governor Moses Silasia of Kano State.

Kadaga’s latest recognition cements her legacy as one of Uganda’s most influential female leaders, reinforcing her reputation on the regional and global stage as a powerful advocate for governance that puts people—and especially women—first.