President Yoweri Museveni says First Lady Janet Museveni has recovered after a serious health scare in March.
In an X post on Wednesday, June 24, 2026, marking her 78th birthday, the President revealed that Janet suffered a major illness on March 21, 2026. He said she survived due to “God, using good doctors,” and is now recovering well.
Museveni did not give details of the condition. His statement is the first official confirmation of her illness, which had been the subject of public speculation after she missed several events. These included the President’s swearing-in ceremony and a ministerial vetting by Parliament’s Appointments Committee.
Born June 24, 1948, Janet Museveni has been Uganda’s First Lady since 1986. She has also served as Ruhaama County MP, Minister of Karamoja Affairs, and since 2016, Minister of Education and Sports.
In his tribute, Museveni called her a “pillar” of their family, the NRM, and multiple charities. He recalled that she raised their children alone during his time in the bush war from 1981 to 1986. He also praised her work founding Uganda Women’s Effort to Save Orphans, UWESO, in 1986 to help children affected by conflict.
The President also shared a personal memory. He said he and Janet reconnected by chance on Christmas Day 1972 outside Nairobi’s Inter-Continental Hotel. They had first met as students in Kyamate, Ntungamo, before Uganda’s political turmoil separated them. Museveni said that reunion allowed them to build a family of four children and 15 grandchildren despite his years in exile and resistance.
He tied her March 21 recovery date to Uganda’s liberation history, noting that March 21, 1979 was the date anti-Amin forces defeated a counterattack at Rugaando near Mbarara. Museveni added that he hopes both he and Janet reach 100 and see the East African Federation realized.
