Apolo Nsibambi

Apolo Robin Nsibambi
Nsibambi in 2008
8th Prime Minister of Uganda
In office
5 April 1999 – 24 May 2011
PresidentYoweri Museveni
Preceded byKintu Musoke
Succeeded byAmama Mbabazi
Personal details
Born(1940-10-25)25 October 1940
Died28 May 2019(2019-05-28) (aged 78)
PartyNational Resistance Movement
Spouse(s)Rhoda Nsibambi (1968–2001)
Esther Nsibambi (2003–2019)
Alma materMakerere University (B.S.)
University of Chicago (M.A.)
University of Nairobi (Ph.D.)

Apolo Robin Nsibambi (25 October 1940 – 28 May 2019) was a Ugandan academic and politician who served as the 8th Prime Minister of Uganda from 5 April 1999 until 24 May 2011, when Amama Mbabazi succeeded him.

A distinguished scholar of political science, he taught at Makerere University from the 1960s and later held several senior academic positions, including Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences and Head of the Department of Political Science. He was also Director of the Makerere Institute of Social Research between 1994 and 1996. Beyond academia, Nsibambi served in government as Minister of Public Service (1996–1998) and Minister of Education and Sports (1998–1999) before his appointment as Prime Minister. From 2003 to 2007, he became the first non-Head-of-State Chancellor of Makerere University. Widely regarded as an intellectual statesman, Nsibambi was noted for bridging academia and politics, and during his tenure as Prime Minister he described Makerere as an “intellectual cradle” for fellow scholar Ali Mazrui. He is remembered for his contributions to public service and higher education in Uganda.