Museveni Thanks God, Medical Team for Janet’s Recovery

President Yoweri Museveni has expressed gratitude to God and praised the medical personnel who oversaw the recovery of First Lady Janet Museveni following a recent health setback.

Speaking on Sunday, August 23, 2026, during the consecration of his daughter, Patience Rwabwogo, as an episcopal bishop, President Museveni commended both the medical team and his family for their steadfast support during the First Lady’s illness.

“First of all, I thank God for the recovery of Mama. And I want to salute, apart from thanking God, to thank the medical staff who were involved in supporting her, and also our children—Muhoozi, Natasha, Patience, Diana—who have been together with the medical staff looking after her,” President Museveni said.

Reflecting on his family’s spiritual heritage, the President noted that although his ancestors had lived in the region for generations, organised modern religions arrived much later, with Islam arriving in 1841, Anglicanism in 1877 and Catholicism in 1879.

He observed that none of his great-grandparents or grandfathers joined the church or the colonial administration, making his parents, Mzee Amos Kaguta and his mother, together with himself, among the first in the family to join the church in 1947.

“So thank God for having a whole bishop now,” President Museveni, 81, remarked, noting that despite decades of church membership, his family had never previously produced even a catechist.

The President also revealed that despite studying the Bible systematically for 12 years beginning in 1953, he was surprised by his daughter’s deep knowledge of scripture.

He said reading Bishop Patience’s writings exposed him to intricate biblical details, including the historical lineage separating the descendants of Lot and Esau from the Jewish line, which impressed upon him her profound dedication to the scriptures.

“So I said, ‘This young person has really read the Bible much more than myself. I surrendered,’” President Museveni, who has been in power since 1986, admitted.

In his closing remarks, President Museveni recognised the visiting clergy and echoed points raised during the sermon regarding true spiritual authority, saying Bishop Patience would bring immense energy to the ministry.

He concluded that a bishop without the Holy Spirit would operate merely as an executive manager rather than a true spiritual shepherd.