Kamla Persad-Bissessar is the Prime Minister of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. Political Leader of the United National Congress (UNC), she was sworn in on 1 May 2025, having previously served as the country’s first woman Prime Minister from 2010 to 2015.
At a glance
| Known as | Kamla Persad-Bissessar, S.C. |
|---|---|
| From | Siparia, Trinidad and Tobago (born 22 April 1952) |
| Current role | Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago |
| Party | United National Congress (UNC); Political Leader since January 2010 |
| In office since | 1 May 2025 (previously Prime Minister, May 2010 – September 2015) |
| Constituency | Member of Parliament for Siparia since 1995 |
| Previous positions | Opposition Senator (1994); Attorney General (1995–1996 and 2001); Minister of Education (1999–2001); Leader of the Opposition (2006–2007, 2010 and 2015–2025); Commonwealth Chair-in-Office (2010–2011); CARICOM Chair (July–December 2013) |
| Education | BA (Hons) and Diploma in Education, UWI; LLB (Hons), UWI Cave Hill; Legal Education Certificate, Hugh Wooding Law School; Executive MBA, Arthur Lok Jack Graduate School of Business |
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Career
Kamla Persad-Bissessar was born in Siparia. She studied at the University of the West Indies, earning a BA and a Diploma in Education and later a law degree at Cave Hill, before qualifying at the Hugh Wooding Law School. Early in her career she worked as a social worker in London and taught and lectured in Jamaica, including at UWI Mona, before practising full-time as an Attorney-at-Law. She holds the title of Senior Counsel.
She served as an Alderman on the St Patrick County Council from 1987 to 1991, entered Parliament as a UNC Opposition Senator in 1994 and has been the Member of Parliament for Siparia since November 1995. In government she served as Attorney General, Minister of Legal Affairs and Minister of Education.
She became the first woman to serve as Leader of the Opposition in 2006, and was elected Political Leader of the UNC in January 2010. She served as Prime Minister from 26 May 2010 to September 2015, the first woman to hold the office, and during that time was Commonwealth Chair-in-Office and, in 2013, Chair of CARICOM.
After serving again as Leader of the Opposition from 2015, she was sworn in as Prime Minister for a second time on 1 May 2025, following the general election of 28 April 2025.
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Last updated November 2026. Sources: Parliament of Trinidad and Tobago, Ministry of Foreign and CARICOM Affairs, Prime Minister’s biography, Wikipedia, Barbados Today (April 2025).