The Kingdom of Buganda has mourned the passing of Ambassador Venetia Sebudandi, one of the wives of Kabaka Ronald Muwenda Mutebi II.
Sebudandi was the mother of Princes Kiweewa and Crispin Jjunju. She passed away on Monday, November 13, in Kigali, Rwanda, according to the Buganda Prime Minister Charles Peter Mayiga.
Robert Waggwa Nsibirwa, the second deputy prime minister, conveyed the news of the upcoming funeral ceremony for Venetia Sebudandi. He confirmed that Buganda Kingdom will be actively involved in honouring her during the send-off.
Venetia Sebudandi is said to have been battling illness for some time.
Her final resting place will be at her ancestral home in Rusororo, Rwanda, on Saturday, November 18, 2023.
The deceased had a long and illustrious career in diplomacy, having served as Rwanda’s ambassador to Sweden and other Nordic countries from 2011. She also served as ambassador to Japan until 2019.
Prior to her appointment to Geneva in 2006, Sebudandi had been serving at the Embassy of Rwanda in Paris since 2002 as Deputy Chief of Mission and in charge of multilateral organizations including UNESCO and the Francophonie.
From 1996 to 2001, she served as the Chief of Protocol and Director of State Protocol at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of Rwanda. Before joining the Ministry, she worked in Uganda and Kenya in the private sector.
Sebudandi had a master’s degree in diplomatic studies from the University of Westminster in the United Kingdom and a Diploma in Education from Makerere University in Kampala.
She also had an Advanced Language Diploma from the University of Clermont Ferrand in France.