Namirembe Bitamazire

Geraldine Namirembe Bitamazire (17 July 1941 – 14 January 2026) was a Ugandan academic and politician. She was the Chancellor of the Uganda Management Institute. She was minister of education from 1979 to 1980 and again from 2005 to 2011. She also served as the member of parliament representing Mpigi District women in the Ugandan Parliament from 2001 to 2011.

Early life and education Bitamazire was born on 17 July 1941 in the Central Region of Protectorate of Uganda. She attended Trinity College Nabbingo for her high school education. She went on to obtain a Diploma in education from Makerere University in 1964. She followed that with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1967 and a Master of Arts degree in 1987, both from Makerere University. She was appointed as minister of state for education in 1999, serving in that capacity until 2005, when she was appointed minister of education and sports. In 2010, Mpigi District was split into three parts; Butambala District, Gomba District, and the smaller Mpigi District of today. During the 2011 national elections, Bitamazire was defeated in the primaries by Mariam Nalubega, also of the National Resistance Movement (NRM) political party, in Butambala District. In the cabinet reshuffle of 27 May 2011, Bitamazire was dropped from the cabinet and was replaced by Jessica Alupo.

Bitamazire later served as the chancellor of the Uganda Management Institute, a public, degree-awarding, tertiary institution of higher education, with accreditation equivalent to a university.