Other terms


In office 25 February 2010 – 25 May 2010
President	George Maxwell Richards
Prime Minister	Patrick Manning
Preceded by	Basdeo Panday
Succeeded by	Keith Rowley
In office 26 April 2006 – 8 November 2007
President	George Maxwell Richards
Prime Minister	Patrick Manning
Preceded by	Basdeo Panday
Succeeded by	Basdeo Panday

4th Political Leader of the United National Congress

Incumbent

Assumed office
24 January 2010

Preceded by

Basdeo Panday

Ministerial offices

9th & 11th Attorney General of Trinidad and Tobago
In office 5 October 2001 – 24 December 2001
Prime Minister	Basdeo Panday
Preceded by	Ramesh Maharaj
Succeeded by	Glenda Morean
In office 27 November 1995 – 2 February 1996
Prime Minister	Basdeo Panday
Preceded by	Keith Sobion
Succeeded by	Ramesh Maharaj
Minister of Education of Trinidad and Tobago
In office 22 October 1999 – 4 October 2001
Prime Minister	Basdeo Panday
Preceded by	Adesh Nanan
Succeeded by	Ganga Singh

Parliamentary offices

Member of Parliament for Siparia
Incumbent
Assumed office 6 November 1995
Preceded by	Sahid Hosein
Majority	10,141 (51.6%)
Opposition Member of the Senate of Trinidad and Tobago
In office 1 November 1994 – 6 October 1995

International offices

Commonwealth Chair-in-Office
In office 26 May 2010 – 28 October 2011
Secretary-General	Kamalesh Sharma
Preceded by	Patrick Manning
Succeeded by	Julia Gillard
Chairwoman of the Caribbean Community
In office 1 July 2013 – 31 December 2013
Preceded by	Michel Martelly
Succeeded by	Ralph Gonsalves

Local government offices

Alderwoman for the Saint Patrick County Council
In office 1987–1991

Personal details

Born

Kamla Susheila Persad

22 April 1952 (age 73)
Siparia, Trinidad and Tobago, British West Indies

Political party

United National Congress (1994–present)

Other political
affiliations

National Alliance for Reconstruction (1987–1994)

Spouse

Gregory Bissessar

(m. 1971)

Children

Residences

Phillipine, Penal-Debe, Trinidad and Tobago

Education

Iere High School
Norwood Technical College

Alma mater

University of the West Indies (BA, DipEd, LL.B., EMBA)
Hugh Wooding Law School (LEC)

Occupation

Awards

Pravasi Bharatiya Samman (2012)

The Hon. Kamla Susheila Persad-Bissessar SC MP (born 22 April 1952), also known as KPB, is a Trinidadian lawyer, politician, and teacher. She is set to become the Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago again in 2025. She is currently the Leader of the Opposition and the head of the United National Congress (UNC) political party.

Kamla Persad-Bissessar served as the prime minister of Trinidad and Tobago from May 26, 2010, to September 9, 2015. She made history as the first woman to hold many important roles in her country, including prime minister, Attorney General, and opposition leader. She was also the first woman to lead the Commonwealth of Nations and the first woman of Indian descent to be a prime minister outside of India.

In 2011, Time magazine recognized her as one of the thirteen most influential female leaders globally. She led the People's Partnership, a group of political parties that governed Trinidad and Tobago. Since 2015, she has been the Leader of the Opposition.

Growing Up in Trinidad
Education and Early Career
Political Journey
Awards and Recognition
Personal Life
Images for kids
See also

Growing Up in Trinidad

Kamla Susheila Persad was born in Siparia, a town in southern Trinidad, on April 22, 1952. Her parents, Lilraj and Rita Persad, were both of Indian descent and followed the Hindu faith. Her father worked in accounting, and her mother worked hard in the cocoa fields and later ran a small shop.

Kamla has shared that her mother, grandmothers, and great-grandmother taught her important lessons about strength and leadership. These women worked hard to support their families, setting a powerful example for her. Her family's ancestors came to Trinidad from India in the 1880s through a system called indentureship. In 2012, Kamla Persad-Bissessar even visited the village in India where her great-grandfather was from.

Education and Early Career

Kamla Persad-Bissessar started her schooling at Mohess Road Hindu School in Penal. Later, her family moved to Siparia, where she attended Erin Road Presbyterian Primary School and Siparia Union Presbyterian Primary School. In 1963, she joined Iere High School, a new school where both boys and girls studied together. She was an excellent student, a top debater, and a champion in sports like badminton and netball.

At 17, Kamla moved to London, England, to continue her studies at Norwood Technical College. While there, she also worked as a social worker, helping children. In 1971, at 18, she married Gregory Bissessar. They later moved to Jamaica, where they lived for 14 years.

In Jamaica, she attended the University of the West Indies in Mona, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1974 and a teaching diploma in 1976. She taught at St Andrew High School and also lectured at the University of the West Indies, becoming the youngest lecturer there at age 25. She decided to study law instead of pursuing a PhD. In 1985, she earned her law degree from the University of the West Indies at Cave Hill. She then completed her legal training at Hugh Wooding Law School in 1987, graduating at the top of her class. Later, in 2006, she earned a Master's degree in Business Administration.

Political Journey

Kamla Persad-Bissessar began her political career in 1987 as an alderwoman (a local council member) for the Saint Patrick County Council. She served in this role until 1991. From 1994 to 1995, she was an opposition senator.

In 1995, she became a Member of Parliament for the Siparia area, a position she has held ever since. She served as Attorney General twice, first in 1995 and again in 2001. When her party, the United National Congress (UNC), formed the government in 2000, she was appointed Minister of Education.

In 2006, she became the Leader of the Opposition after gaining support from most opposition Members of Parliament.

Becoming Political Leader

On January 24, 2010, Kamla Persad-Bissessar was elected as the political leader of the United National Congress (UNC). She won against the party's founder and former prime minister, Basdeo Panday. She was officially named Leader of the Opposition on February 25, 2010.

Serving as Prime Minister

Persad-Bissessar visiting the Welsh Parliament in 2011.

Kamla Persad-Bissessar became Prime Minister after her party, the People's Partnership, won the general election on May 24, 2010. She was the first female prime minister of Trinidad and Tobago. Her election campaign was successful because it brought together people from different backgrounds under her leadership. She was also the first female Commonwealth Chairperson-in-Office, a role she held until October 2011.

Leading the Opposition Again

On September 21, 2015, Kamla Persad-Bissessar was appointed Leader of the Opposition once more. This happened after her party lost the general elections on September 7, 2015. The People's National Movement, led by Keith Rowley, won the election. In the 2020 general election, her party gained more seats, but the People's National Movement still won, and she remained Leader of the Opposition.

A New Term as Prime Minister

After leading her party for fifteen years, Kamla Persad-Bissessar led the Coalition of Interests into the 2025 Trinidad and Tobago general election. On April 28, 2025, she announced a big victory, becoming the prime minister-elect. Her party, the UNC, is expected to win 26 out of 41 seats in the House of Representatives.

Awards and Recognition

Kamla Persad-Bissessar receiving the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman award from Pratibha Patil, the President of India, in 2012.

Kamla Persad-Bissessar has received special awards for her public service.

Year	Country	Award Name	Given by	Field of Merit
2012	India	Pravasi Bharatiya Samman	President of India	Public Services

Personal Life

Kamla Persad-Bissessar married Gregory Bissessar in 1971. They have one son named Chris and a grandson named Kristiano. She and her husband live in Phillipine, Penal-Debe, Trinidad and Tobago. She is also a grandmother to two children. She has said that she follows both Hinduism and the Spiritual Baptist faith. After her brother passed away in a car accident, she helped raise his children.

Images for kids

Kamla Persad-Bissessar in 2013.

Kamla Persad-Bissessar facts for kids

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