First Lady Mama Janet Museveni made a major public appearance on Sunday after more than five months away from the public spotlight due to health challenges, telling worshippers that 2026 will forever remain the year God “delivered” her life from the jaws of death. Mama Janet was speaking during the consecration of her daughter, Patience Kokundeka Museveni Rwabwogo, as Bishop of Covenant Nations Church at Maya-Luzira in Kampala.
Although she made a brief public appearance several days ago during a reception for visiting American evangelist Bishop Dr LaDonna C. Osborn, Sunday’s ceremony marked her first appearance before a huge gathering since her prolonged absence.
Mama Janet delivered a prayer lasting more than 14 minutes, which she used to publicly reflect on her health ordeal, Uganda’s history and the growth of the church, while thanking Ugandans and Christians who prayed for her during her illness. She said she was grateful that people for whom she had prayed over the years, including widows, orphans and vulnerable Ugandans, also remembered her in her hour of need.
The First Lady also linked her recovery to her Christian faith, describing Jesus as “the healer, the great physician” and quoting Isaiah 53:5 on healing. Her prayer also became a reflection on the history of Uganda, with Janet crediting God for guiding the country through years of civil war, HIV/AIDS, insurgencies, poverty and the challenges of rebuilding after conflict.
She praised President Yoweri Museveni for leading the country through what she described as a 40-year journey of rebuilding and recovery. “It was your presence that defeated the innumerable challenges we have faced these past 40 years,” she said, citing the war in northern Uganda by the Lord’s Resistance Army and other conflicts.
Mama Janet said she was particularly thankful that Uganda had transformed from a war-ravaged country into a nation supporting regional peace and hosting refugees from neighbouring countries. On the consecration of her daughter, she said it is a moment of great honour and joy for the family.
“Today, we celebrate the consecration of our daughter, Patience, to the office of a bishop,” she said. “We are overwhelmed with joy and thanksgiving at the great honour you have bestowed over us in choosing one of our children to serve you in this capacity.” She said Patience answered the call to ministry 20 years ago and prayed that she and her husband, Odrek Rwabwogo, would receive “a fresh anointing of the Holy Spirit” to continue their work.
She also prayed for Covenant Nations Church to expand beyond Uganda while remaining grounded in prayer, love, and the preaching of what she called the undiluted word of God. At the conclusion of the prayer, President Museveni ionately recognized his wife before stepping onto the podium to deliver what he described as his “brief speech.” Museveni began by thanking God for his wife’s recovery and also acknowledged the medical personnel and their children who supported her during her illness.
The President then commended Patience on becoming a bishop, saying the development represented a significant milestone for his family. Museveni traced his family’s encounter with Christianity, saying his ancestors had lived in the region for millions of years before the arrival of Islam and Christianity. He said Islam arrived in Uganda in the 1840s, followed by the Anglican Church in 1877 and Catholic missionaries in 1879.
According to Museveni, his great-grandparents and grandparents did not join the church nor the colonial administration, with his own family only embracing Christianity in 1947.
Museveni also praised his daughter’s biblical knowledge, revealing that he had spent 12 years studying the Bible but found himself learning new things from Patience’s writings. He said he was particularly surprised by her explanation of the descendants of Lot and Esau, which led him to conclude that his daughter had studied the Bible more deeply than he had. “So I said that this young person has really read the Bible much more than myself, I surrendered,” he said.
Museveni said Patience would bring “a lot of energy” to the church and thanked Bishop Osborn and Nigerian preacher Pastor Enoch Adeboye for travelling to Uganda for the consecration. He also used the occasion to call on religious leaders to focus on the substance of Christianity.
The ceremony was attended by Vice President Jessica Alupo, ministers, Members of Parliament and religious and cultural leaders. Among those present were Pastor Robert Kayanja, Prince Wasajja Kiwanuka representing the Buganda Kingdom, and representatives of the Anglican, Catholic and Muslim communities.
The consecration also attracted religious leaders and dignitaries from Uganda and abroad, as Covenant Nations Church marked 20 years since Patience began pastoring the church. As a gesture of support to his daughter, Museveni announced that he and Mama Janet would give Patience 50 cows-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
