Helena Kida
{{Short description|Mozambican judicial magistrate and politician}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific-prefix = Her Excellency
| name = Helena Kida
| honorific-suffix =
| image = Mozambican Deputy Minister of Interior, Helena Mateus Kida (cropped).jpg
| image_size =
| caption = Kida in 2019
| office1 = Minister of Justice, Constitutional and Religious Affairs
| president1 = Filipe Nyusi
| term_start1 = 20 January 2020
| term_end1 =
| predecessor1 = Joaquim Veríssimo{{Cite web |last=Redacção |date=2023-10-17 |title=Joaquim Veríssimo ganha novo “job” na empresa pública CMH |url=https://cartamz.com/index.php/politica/item/9163-joaquim-verissimo-ganha-novo-job-na-empresa-publica-cmh |access-date=2023-10-17 |website=Carta de Moçambique |language=pt-moz}}
| successor1 =
| office2 = Deputy Minister of Interior
| president2 = Filipe Nyusi
| term_start2 = 13 November 2017
| term_end2 = 20 January 2020
| predecessor2 = Jose dos Santos Coimbra
| successor2 = Vacant (2020)
| birthname =
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1971|10|12|df=y}}
| birth_place =
| death_date =
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| nationality =
| party = FRELIMO
| otherparty =
| spouse =
| partner =
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| children =
| residence =
| education =
| alma_mater = Eduardo Mondlane University
Federal University of Bahia
| occupation =
| profession = Judicial Magistrate
| known_for =
| committees =
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| website =
}}
Helena Mateus Kida is a Mozambican judicial magistrate and politician who has been the Minister of Justice, Constitutional and Religious Affairs since January 2020. A member of FRELIMO, Kida previously served as the deputy minister of interior from 2017 to 2020.
Early life and education
Kida was born on 12 October 1971 in what is today the Metangula district in the Niassa Province.{{Cite web |title=Helena Mateus Kida |url=https://clubofmozambique.com/who-is-who-post/helena-mateus-kida-163216/ |access-date=2023-10-17 |website=Mozambique |language=en-US}} She attended the FRELIMO school in Maputo for her primary education before progressing on to the Francisco Manyanga Secondary School. Having finished school, Kida enrolled at the Eduardo Mondlane University Law School, from which she graduated in 1997. She earned a Master of Laws from the Federal University of Bahia in Brazil in 2004. Prior to entering the judiciary, Kida completed a course at the Centre for Legal and Judiciary Training.
Career
Kida started her career in the judiciary as a district judge of the Chibuto Judicial Court in the Gaza Province in 2006. In 2008, she became a judge of the Boane District Court. After two years in the role, she was appointed a judge of the Kampfumo District Court in 2010. Kida was named a judge of the Criminal Investigation Section of Maputo Province Judicial Court in 2011. She moved to the 4th labour section of the court in 2015. In 2017, she was appointed to the Police Court.
In government
In November 2017, Mozambican president Filipe Nyusi appointed her as Deputy Minister of Interior, replacing Jose dos Santos Coimbra.{{Cite web |title=President Nyusi names new Deputy Ministers of Health and Interior |url=https://clubofmozambique.com/news/president-nyusi-names-new-deputy-ministers-of-health-and-interior/ |access-date=2023-10-17 |website=Mozambique |language=en-US}} She was sworn in on 13 November.{{Cite web |title=President swears in three deputy ministers |url=https://clubofmozambique.com/news/president-swears-in-three-deputy-ministers/ |access-date=2023-10-17 |website=Mozambique |language=en-US}} After Nyusi was sworn in for a second term as president in January 2020, he named his cabinet which saw Kida appointed as Minister of Justice, Constitutional and Religious Affairs.{{Cite web |title=Mozambique: Nyusi names new government - By Joseph Hanlon |url=https://clubofmozambique.com/news/mozambique-nyusi-names-new-government-by-joseph-hanlon-150414/ |access-date=2023-10-17 |website=Mozambique |language=en-US}}
In June 2023, Kida and her Rwanda counterpart, Soline Nyirahabimana, signed an extradition treaty as well as an agreement on mutual legal assistance in criminal matters.{{Cite web |last=Umurerwa |first=Ines Rutayisire |date=2022-06-03 |title=Rwanda, Mozambique sign agreements to reinforce justice |url=https://www.newtimes.co.rw/article/200022/News/rwanda-mozambique-sign-agreements-to-reinforce-justice |access-date=2023-10-17 |website=The New Times |language=en}}
Kida is a member of the Central Committee of FRELIMO.{{Cite web |last=FRELIMO |first=Notícias do Partido |title=Helena Kida visita distrito de Homoine |url=https://frelimo1962.info/f/helena-kida-visita-distrito-de-homoine |access-date=2023-10-17 |website=frelimo 1962 |language=pt-moz}}