Kamla Persad-Bissessar Age, Husband, Children, Family, Biography

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Father: Lilraj Persad

Age: 73 Years

Husband: Gregory Bissessar

Bio/Wiki
Birth Name	Kamla Susheila Persad
Full Name	Kamla Susheila Persad-Bissessar
Nickname(s)	• KPB • Aunty/ Tanty Kamla
Profession(s)	• Lawyer • Educator • Politician
Physical Stats
Height (approx.)	5' 5" (165 cm)
Eye Colour	Black
Hair Colour	Black
Politics
Political Party	• National Alliance for Reconstruction (NAR) (1987-1994) • United National Congress (UNC) (1994 - Present)
Political Journey	• Served as an alderwoman on the Saint Patrick County Council (1987-1991) • Chairwoman of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) (2013) • 7th Commonwealth Chair-in-Office (2010-2011) • Served as the Member of the Senate of Trinidad and Tobago (1 November 1994 - 6 October 1995) • Contested and won the Trinidad and Tobago general election from Siparia on a ticket from the United National Congress (UNC) (1995) - 1st term • Served as the Minister of Education (22 October 1999 – 4 October 2001) • Served as the Attorney General of Trinidad and Tobago (27 November 1995 - 2 February 1996) • Won the Trinidad and Tobago general election from Siparia (2000) - 2nd term • Served as the Attorney General of Trinidad and Tobago (5 October 2001 - 24 December 2001) • Contested and won the Trinidad and Tobago general election from Siparia (2002) - 3rd term • Served as the Leader of the Opposition (26 April 2006 - 8 November 2007) • Contested and won the Trinidad and Tobago general election from Siparia (2007) - 4th term • Contested and won the Trinidad and Tobago general election from Siparia (2010) - 5th term • Appointed as the 3rd Political Leader of the United National Congress (2010) • Served as the Leader of the Opposition (25 February 2010 - 26 May 2010) • Served as the6th Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago (26 May 2010 - 9 September 2015; 1 May 2025 - Present) • Contested and won the Trinidad and Tobago general election from Siparia (2015) - 6th term • Served as the Leader of the Opposition (9 September 2015 - 1 May 2025) • Contested and won the Trinidad and Tobago general election from Siparia (2020) - 7th term • Contested and won the Trinidad and Tobago general election from Siparia (2025) - 8th term
Award, Honour	Pravasi Bharatiya Samman from Pratibha Patil, the President of India (2012)
Personal Life
Date of Birth	22 April 1952 (Tuesday)
Age (as of 2025)	73 Years
Birthplace	Siparia, Trinidad and Tobago
Zodiac sign	Taurus
Signature
Nationality	Trinidadian
Hometown	Siparia
School	• Mohess Road Hindu School, Debe, Trinidad and Tobago • Erin Road Presbyterian Primary School, Siparia • Siparia Union Presbyterian School, Siparia • Iere High School, Siparia (1963-1969)
College/University	• Norwood Technical College, West Norwood, London, England • University of the Wets Indies, Mona Kingston, Jamaica • The University of the West Indies at Cave Hill, Barbados - Home • Hugh Wooding Law School, Trinidad and Tobago (1985-1987) • University of the West Indies (UWI) Arthur Lok Jack Global School of Business, San Juan, Trinidad and Tobago
Educational Qualification(s)	• Bachelor of Arts (Hons.) from the University of the Wets Indies (1974) • A post-graduate Diploma of Education from the University of the Wets Indies (1976) • Bachelor of Laws (Hons.) from The University of the West Indies at Cave Hill (1985) • Legal Education Certificate (LEC) from Hugh Wooding Law School (1987) • Executive Masters in Business Administration from the UWI Arthur Lok Jack Global School of Business (2006)
Religion(s)	Hinduism and Spiritual Baptist
Caste	Brahmin
Social Media	• Instagram • Facebook
Relationships & More
Marital Status	Married
Marriage Date	Year, 1971
Family
Husband/Spouse	Gregory Bissessar
Children	Son- Chris Bissessar (aka Kris Bissessar) Daughter- None
Parents	Father- Lilraj Persad (aka Raj Persad) (bookkeeper) (deceased) Mother- Rita Persad (domestic worker, labourer) (deceased)
Siblings	Brother- 1 (deceased) Sister(s)- 3 • (eldest; deceased) • Vidwatie Newton • Sally Ahamad
Grandparents	Paternal Grandmother- Soomintra Maternal Grandmother- Rookmin Maternal Great-Grandmother- Sumaria (labourer) Paternal Great-Great-Grandfather- Bhawani Swaroop Mishra (deceased) Paternal Great-Grandfather- Pundit Ram Lakhan Mishra (labourer) Paternal Great-Grandmother- Ganga (labourer)
Grandchildren	Grandson- Kristiano
Money Factor
Net Worth (approx.)	USD 1-7.2 million (as of 2025)

Some Lesser Known Facts About Kamla Persad-Bissessar

Kamla Persad-Bissessar grew up in a joint family in Boodoo Trace, Penal.

Her family traces its roots to Indian ancestors who came to Trinidad in the 1880s through the indenture system, a form of contract labour where people agreed to work for a set number of years, usually on plantations.

In the early 1880s, Kamla’s maternal great-grandmother, Sumaria, came to Trinidad from Madras (now Chennai, Tamil Nadu) as an indentured labourer and married fellow labourer Seepersad.
A snip from Kamla Persad-Bissessar’s Facebook post featuring her maternal great-grandmother, Sumaria, and her house at Bennett Dairy Farm (now known as Bennett Drive) in Palmiste, Trinidad and Tobago

Kamla’s paternal grandmother, Soomintra, sold goods in the market and was one of the founders of the Saraswati Prakash Mandir in Boodoo Trace, Penal. She also guided a women’s prayer group and supported anyone who came to her for help.

Kamla’s paternal great-grandparents, Pundit Ram Lakhan Mishra, a native of Bhelupur, Bihar, and Ganga, migrated from India and settled in Boodoo Trace, Penal, after completing their indentureship.
Kamla Persad-Bissessar’s Facebook post about her 2012 visit to Bhelupur village in Buxar, Bihar, where her paternal great-grandfather Ram Lakhan Mishra once lived

Kamla’s maternal grandmother, Rookmin, and great-grandmother, Sumaria, worked in the sugarcane and cocoa fields. After losing their husbands early, both became the main earners to support their families.

Kamla admires her mother, grandmothers, and great-grandmother and believes their strength, hard work, and independence shaped her values and guided her path.

Kamla’s father worked in Texaco’s accounting department as a bookkeeper. Her mother, on the other hand, did domestic work and laboured in the cocoa fields while also running a roti shop.

She took care of her brother’s children following his death in a car accident.

Persad-Bissessar began her schooling at Mohess Road Hindu School in Debe, Trinidad and Tobago. After her family relocated to Siparia in 1959, she continued her education at Erin Road Presbyterian Primary and later at Siparia Union Presbyterian Primary.

In 1963, Kamla enrolled at Iere High School in Siparia. There, she excelled in academics, sports, and debating. In 1966, she was placed in a special class to write the GCE O Levels.

At 16, Kamla wanted to study in the UK, but her father and uncles were against it. Her mother, however, convinced them. Eventually, they agreed, and Kamla was allowed to go.

In August 1969, Kamla Persad-Bissessar, 17, left Trinidad to study at Norwood Technical College in West Norwood, London. During her time there, she worked with the Church of England’s ‘Children’s Society’ in London as a social worker.

Kamla met Gregory Bissessar before leaving Trinidad. When she moved to England for college, he was already living there. The duo got married in 1971 when Kamla was 18 and Gregory was 22.

Kamla and Gregory Bissessar later relocated from England to Jamaica. They lived there for the next fourteen years.

While living in Jamaica, Kamla attended the University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona. She earned a Bachelor of Arts (Hons.) in 1974, followed by a postgraduate Diploma in Education in 1976.

After graduating from UWI, Kamla began teaching at St. Andrew High School in Kingston.

Kamla later became a lecturer at the University of the West Indies, Mona, and was the youngest person to teach there at the age of 25. She also served as a consultant lecturer at the Jamaica College of Insurance.

Kamla received a Fulbright Scholarship to pursue PhD research at Columbia University, but she chose to study law instead and joined the University of the West Indies at Cave Hill.

Persad-Bissessar pursued a Bachelor of Laws (Hons.) at UWI Cave Hill. While studying there, she gave birth to her son, Chris; she graduated from UWI Cave Hill in 1985.

Kamla later joined Hugh Wooding Law School in Trinidad and Tobago and earned a Legal Education Certificate in 1987. She graduated as the best-performing student in her class and received awards for overall excellence.
Kamla Persad-Bissessar’s Certificate of Award for ‘Most Outstanding Student’ at Hugh Wooding Law School, Trinidad and Tobago (1985 to 1987)

In 1987, Kamla Persad-Bissessar began her political career as an alderwoman on the Saint Patrick County Council. She served in that role until 1991.

On 6 November 1995, she was elected as the Member of Parliament for Siparia, defeating the People’s National Movement (PNM) candidate Leo Doodnath with 13,136 votes.
Kamla Persad-Bissessar during the early years of her political career

In 2002, Kamla contested the Trinidad and Tobago general election from Siparia and won with 15,037 votes.

On 1 July 2013, Kamla became the Chairwoman of the Caribbean Community. She served in this position until 31 December 2013.

On 26 May 2010, Kamla became the 7th Commonwealth Chair-in-Office. She was the first woman to hold this role. Her term ended on 28 October 2011, when Julia Gillard, a former politician, succeeded her.

In May 2010, she became the 6th Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago and the first woman to hold the position.

In 2015, she won the Trinidad and Tobago general election with 14,896 votes.

In 2025, Kamla won the Trinidad and Tobago general election from Siparia with 13,900 votes.
Kamla Persad-Bissessar, after winning the 2025 Trinidad and Tobago general election

On his visit to Trinidad and Tobago in July 2025, Prime Minister Narendra Modi referred to Kamla Persad Bissessar as ‘Bihar ki Beti’ in recognition of her ancestral roots in Bhelupur village in Bihar’s Buxar district.
Kamla Persad-Bissessar with Narendra Modi during his visit to Trinidad and Tobago in July 2025