QUEEN SYLVIA’S PROFILE

Her Royal Highness Queen Consort Sylvia Nagginda, the Nnaabagereka (Queen) of Buganda Kingdom, wife to His Majesty Ronald Muwenda Mutebi II, the Kabaka (King) of the Kingdom of Buganda, is an icon who is highly regarded in society for her transformational leadership, and for being a champion of empowering girls and boys including those with disabilities, the youth, and women.

The Queen Consort of Buganda Kingdom holds a Master of Arts degree, with distinction, from New York Institute of Technology, an Associates Degree with Honors from City University of New York, and a Bachelor of Arts degree from New York University.

Her major field of study was public relations, including economics, journalism and corporate communications and gained most of her professional work experience in the United States. She also worked as a Public Information Officer, and Research Consultant at the United Nations headquarters, and engaged in independent consultancy in public relations and business development with GKA, PC and Maximus Inc. on World Bank projects.

She has a passion for the Arts and established the Kampala Ballet and Modern Dance School, the first of its kind in Uganda.

Through the Nnabagereka Development Foundation, which Her Royal Highness founded in 2000, she has been able to do charitable work for children, the youth, and women in education, health care, community development, and support initiatives that advance good practices for sustainable ‘green’ development. Her Royal Highness is renowned for advancing the integration of Obuntubulamu in all Foundation programmes and projects that empower individuals to reclaim their cultural heritage and use cultural values in social development.    Obuntubulamu is the accepted and consistent behaviour of Baganda informed by a set of some core values for the wellbeing of self and others.

She has also worked tirelessly to support the sensitization and mobilization of people on early childhood care and development; vocational training and employment targeting the youth; empowerment of women, particularly on sexual reproductive health, safe motherhood, child spacing and gender rights. She works closely with line ministries such as the Ministry of Health, and United Nations agencies such as UNAIDS, UNICEF and WHO in Uganda as well as other civil society organisations on community health related interventions.

Her Royal Highness was a Goodwill Ambassador of the United Nations Population Fund in Uganda (UNFPA); a Torch Bearer for the Millennium Development Goals-MDG3; an Ambassador for Mama Club – an organisation for mothers living with HIV/AIDS, and a champion for the Campaign to End Paediatric HIV/AIDS in Uganda and Special Olympics Uganda.

She is also a patron of Hospice Africa Uganda, ChildFund International Uganda, Female Sponsorship Foundation, Makerere University Uganda, and the Programme for Accessible Health Communication and Education (PACE) and Conservation Through Public Health (CTPH), and the Buganda Kingdom Tourism Board.

Her Royal Highness was the founder member of the African Queens and Women Cultural Leaders Network, co-founder and patron of African Royals for Culture and Development, and a founder member of the Board of the African Philanthropy Forum, and a member of the Board of Advisors of the Global Thinkers Forum.