President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni paid tribute to the First Lady and Minister of Education and Sports, Maama Janet Kataaha Museveni. He described her as a resilient woman who stood firmly through decades of personal sacrifice, leadership and service to Uganda.
Speaking during her 77th birthday celebration at Migyera UWESO Secondary School in Nakasongola District, the President commended Maama Janet’s unwavering strength, particularly during the years of armed struggle. The day began with the commissioning of a newly constructed classroom block and a multipurpose hall at the school; a joint
effort aimed at improving learning facilities in the area.
The President and First Lady also planted a commemorative tree in honor of Maama Janet’s milestone. The thanksgiving celebration, organized by the Uganda Youth Forum, brought together family, friends, church leaders, youth, and government officials in an atmosphere filled with praise and worship. Pastor Patience Rwabwogo led the opening prayer with Pastor Laban Jjumba delivering a powerful sermon.
“From 1971 to 1979, I was with her although I would go and come back, but I was around and providing for the family, conveying what Mwalimu Nyerere was giving me to the family, and also briefly earning money as a teacher. But from 1981 to 1986, she was alone with the children in Nairobi and Sweden. So, I thank her for being
a magnificent single parent,” President Museveni said.
The President recalled the pain of missing important milestones in their children’s lives due to the struggle. “I had last seen Diana when she was only six months old. The next time I saw her; she was six to seven years old. So, it’s a challenge even to other parents that a single parent can stand in for the children,” he said. He applauded Maama Janet not only for raising their children but also for taking on the burden of parenting children who were not her own when she founded the Uganda Women’s Effort to Save Orphans (UWESO) after the war.
President Museveni also shared how Maama Janet’s journey into politics began, a move he initially resisted. “Then she developed interest in political leadership. I didn’t support that idea myself, especially going for politics in Ruhaama. I didn’t think it was a good idea. She told me God had told her. I said, ‘But God has not told me.’ So, we had quite a bit of debate,” he recounted. “Then the elders in Ntungamo came and said they wanted Maama to come. I said, ‘Okay, maybe God has told you,’ And so I supported her. She provided mature and clean leadership.”
He also thanked God for blessing them with a family even during the instability of the liberation war. “By 1979, we already had three children, Muhoozi (1974), Natasha (1976), and Patience (1978). Diana was born in 1980. I thank God for sheltering Maama and me through those bad years,” he revealed.
The President further commended Maama Janet’s support during the national campaign against HIV/AIDS and expressed his full backing for her newly declared war on corruption. “I now support her war which she declared on her 77th birthday on corruption. This is easy to deal with. We just need warriors in the right place,” he said.
On her part, Maama Janet gave glory to God, describing her life as a testimony to divine grace and unwavering faith. “I must begin by thanking God for His amazing love and faithfulness to me all my life,” she said. She paid tribute to President Museveni, her husband and a friend for the past 52 years, her children, grandchildren, and all Ugandans who have embraced her as ‘Maama’ over the years.
She acknowledged the organizing efforts of Dr. James Magara and the Uganda Youth Forum, crediting their heartfelt invitation as the spark for a renewed national mission.
Reflecting on the Uganda Youth Forum’s historic role in mobilizing youth against HIV/AIDS in the 1990s, Maama Janet declared the beginning of a new national war this time against corruption, which she boldly referred to as the new AIDS – Acquired Integrity Deficiency Syndrome. “Just like we said NO to HIV/AIDS, we must say NO to corruption. We will not just fight it; we will stop it in its tracks with God’s help,” she declared.
Maama Janet concluded by expressing gratitude to partners including Tororo Cement, which helped build the new multipurpose hall at UWESO, Bishop Joshua Lwere and fellow pastors, the Uganda Christian Lawyers’ Fraternity, the Global Leadership Summit team, and her dedicated staff at UWESO and State House. “You have been the wind beneath my wings,” she said emotionally.
Mrs. Rukikaire praised Maama Janet for choosing a path of active national service over comfort, even after her husband, President Museveni, assumed leadership of the country in 1986. “When we returned home in 1986, you could have chosen to sit comfortably and enjoy the luxury of being the wife of the President. But you did not because you knew what our Lord Jesus needed you to do,” Mrs. Rukikaire said.
She also reflected on their shared journey, beginning when she was invited by Maama Janet to join the Uganda Women’s Effort to Save Orphans (UWESO) after retiring from UNICEF, noting that she would later serve as UWESO Executive Director and work closely with Maama Janet on youth-focused programs. She recalled their early efforts to fight HIV/AIDS in the 1990s, at a time when the disease was ravaging the country, saying that together, they launched national youth conferences promoting sexual purity and abstinence, eventually forming the True Love
Waits movement.
The event was also attended by Ministers, Members of Parliament, Spiritual leaders, the Leadership of Uganda Youth Forum, Uganda Christian Lawyers Fraternity, UWESO, among dignitaries.