First Lady and Minister of Education and Sports Janet Kataaha Museveni has credited God for Uganda’s transformation from a war-ravaged country into a nation she described as a contributor to regional peace and a host to more than one million refugees.
Speaking during the closing prayer at the consecration service of her daughter, Pastor Patience Rwabwogo, to the office of Bishop on Sunday, August 23, 2026, at Covenant Nations Hill, Maya, Museveni reflected on Uganda’s troubled past and the changes she said the country has experienced over the past four decades.
She said Uganda’s journey from civil war, violence and economic hardship to relative stability was evidence of God’s intervention.
“It is You alone that pulled Uganda out of the dust bin of history,” Museveni said in her prayer, recalling periods when Ugandans were displaced as refugees and the country faced prolonged conflict.
She also referred to the 40 years since the beginning of what she described as Uganda’s journey of rebuilding and recovery under President Yoweri Museveni.
According to the First Lady, Uganda has overcome major challenges including HIV/AIDS, the war in northern Uganda, insurgencies, poverty and the difficulties of rebuilding after years of conflict.
She pointed to Uganda’s role in regional peacekeeping, saying the country has moved from being war-ravaged to becoming a “net exporter of peace” through Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) peacekeeping missions.
Museveni also highlighted Uganda’s hosting of more than one million refugees from the region as another sign of the country’s transformation.
She contrasted this with Uganda’s past, when many of its citizens were forced to flee the country as refugees.
“To think that Uganda where the Church was persecuted and in hiding underground is now the one hosting great servants of God continually,” she said, attributing the growth of Christianity in the country to what she described as freedom of worship and expression.
Museveni reflects on personal survival
The First Lady also used the prayer to reflect on her own life, saying 2026 would remain significant because she had been delivered from what she described as the “jaws of death.”
She thanked God for what she described as healing and protection, and acknowledged the role of Christians who prayed for her during her period of difficulty.
“When I could not pray for myself, You raised up faithful watchmen and intercessors who gave You no rest day and night as they interceded for my life,” she said.
She said the experience reinforced her belief in the power of prayer, noting that she had spent many years praying for widows, orphans and vulnerable Ugandans and was grateful that they also prayed for her when she needed support.
Patience Rwabwogo consecrated bishop
Much of the prayer focused on the consecration of her daughter, Patience Rwabwogo, whom she described as having answered the call to ministry about 20 years ago.
Museveni said the consecration was a moment of joy for the family and the wider Christian community, describing it as recognition of the sacrifices made by previous generations of their family in Christian ministry.
She mentioned relatives including Kaka Esteri Kokundeka, her parents Edward and Erina Kataaha, and Kaka May and Kaka Freda, whom she said had dedicated their lives to prayer, evangelism, education and service to God.
She prayed for a fresh anointing of the Holy Spirit upon Patience and her husband, Odrek Rwabwogo, asking that they be strengthened to carry out their ministry.
Museveni also prayed for Covenant Nations Church, saying the church had grown from a small house church into what she described as a significant force in Uganda and the Kingdom of God.
She urged the church to maintain prayer, love for God and people, and the preaching of what she called the “unadulterated Word of God” as it expands beyond Uganda.
Tribute to visiting Christian leaders
The First Lady also thanked visiting Christian leaders Pastor E.A. Adeboye, Mrs. Adeboye and Bishop LaDonna Osborn for attending the consecration ceremony.
She described their presence as a demonstration of Christian fellowship and unity, saying their participation had added significance to the occasion.
The service concluded with Museveni praying for the church, its leaders and the Rwabwogo family, asking God to give them strength to remain faithful to their calling.
The consecration service took place on Sunday, August 23, 2026, at Covenant Nations Hill, Maya.
