Frances Akello

{{short description|Ugandan politician, farmer, and educator}}

{{Infobox person

| name = Frances Akello

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| birth_date = 1936

| birth_place = Uganda

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| alma_mater = Makerere University

(University of Leeds)

| occupation = Educator, farmer and politician

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}}

Frances Akello (born 1936) is a Ugandan farmer, educator and former politician. She served on the Uganda Legislative Council as a member of the Democratic Party from 1959 to 1961, one of the first African women to serve on the council.{{cite web |url=http://www.nzdl.org/gsdlmod?e=d-00000-00---off-0unescoen--00-0----0-10-0---0---0direct-10---4-------0-1l--11-en-50---20-help---00-0-1-00-0--4----0-0-11-10-0utfZz-8-10&cl=CL1.11&d=HASH01498f0cfd994ddfe10f20e4.15&x=1 |title=When Hens begin to Crow - Gender and Parliamentary Politics in Uganda |work=West African Development Library}}

She was educated at Magoro Primary School, Toroma Primary School and Ngora convent school. She completed a teaching course in Namagunga in Mukono District in 1958 and received a diploma from Makerere University in 1966. With the help of a scholarship, she took a course at the University of Leeds on how to teach English.

Akello was working as a tutor at St Mary's Teachers Training College when she was nominated and elected to the legislative council in 1958. She served as a member of the council's flag committee, charged with designing a flag for the country on its independence. She chose not to run for a seat in the country's first National Assembly because she would have to run against her mentor Cuthbert Joseph Obwangor.{{cite news |url=https://www.monitor.co.ug/artsculture/Reviews/One-of-Uganda-s-pioneer-female-legislators/691232-2025658-l4nvjnz/index.html |title=One of Uganda's pioneer female legislators |newspaper=Daily Monitor |date=October 20, 2013}}