Gloria Somolekae


Gloria Somolekae is a Motswana public administration scholar, policy analyst, and politician. She has served as an academic at the University of Botswana, a senior research fellow and Acting Executive Director of the Botswana Institute for Development Policy Analysis, and as a Specially Elected Member of Parliament. Between 2011 and 2014 she served as an Assistant Minister in the Government of Botswana in the Ministries of Finance and Development Planning and of Health.

Early life and education

Somolekae earned a BA in Public Administration and Political Science from the University of Botswana and Swaziland in 1981. She completed an MA in Public Policy and Administration at the Institute of Social Studies, The Hague, in 1983 and a PhD in Public Administration at the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, Syracuse University, in 1994.

Academic and policy career

She began her career as a lecturer and later senior lecturer in the Department of Political and Administrative Studies at the University of Botswana. Her teaching and research covered development administration, public policy analysis and programme evaluation.
Somolekae later worked with the W.K. Kellogg Foundation as a regional programme director before joining BIDPA, where she has led the Governance and Administration Unit and served as Acting Executive Director.

Government service

In 2011 she was appointed a Specially Elected Member of Parliament and became Assistant Minister in a cabinet reshuffle. She served in the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning and later in the Ministry of Health. In Parliament she defended government financing arrangements and represented the executive in debates on development planning.

Public health advocacy

As Assistant Minister of Health, Somolekae launched the “Condomise Campaign” in Gaborone on 19 May 2014. She emphasised the importance of teaching correct and consistent condom use among youth and sexually active groups and highlighted youth-led participation in HIV prevention.

Research and leadership

Somolekae has spoken publicly about challenges facing policy research institutions, including funding constraints and staff retention and has advocated for ensuring research findings are communicated effectively to policymakers.
In 2025, she led BIDPA’s countrywide consultations in towns including Palapye, Kanye, Francistown, Maun and Kasane to broaden inclusive dialogue for national development.