First Lady Janet Kataaha Museveni has attributed her recovery from illness to God’s mercy and the prayers of Ugandans, using her closing prayer at the 28th Uganda National Prayer Breakfast to give thanks for her healing and reflect on the country’s political, health and economic developments.
Mrs Museveni said the prayers offered by families and children across Uganda had been a source of comfort during her illness, describing the prayer breakfast as particularly meaningful for her and her family.
“Finally, Lord, on my own behalf and on behalf of my family, I give You all the praise and glory for saving my life and giving me this opportunity to stand in the congregation of Your people and testify of Your goodness, mercies and healing power,” she said.
She added that the support she received from Ugandans had deepened her appreciation of the gathering, held on the eve of the country’s 64th Independence celebrations.
“I thank You that in my hour of need, the families and children of Uganda also prayed for me and carried me in their hearts,” she said. “This prayer breakfast is even more poignant for me and my family because we know that we have received great mercy and grace this year.”
Thanks God for Uganda’s journey
Drawing from Psalm 111, which celebrates the greatness of God’s works and the enduring nature of His righteousness, the First Lady thanked God for sustaining Uganda through the years.
“We are gathered here today on the eve of our 64th Independence celebration to give thanks to You, our God, for all of Your mercies towards us. It is Your guiding hand that has strengthened, guided and upheld us all these many years,” she said.
She also thanked God for what she described as a peaceful electoral process earlier in the year, President Yoweri Museveni’s swearing-in for another term and the inauguration of Cabinet and Parliament.
She prayed that the country’s political leaders would honour their commitments to service delivery, transparency and integrity, urging government officials to embrace servant leadership.
The First Lady further prayed for divine wisdom and guidance for President Museveni as he leads the country.
Ebola response and oil project
Mrs Museveni commended Uganda’s response to the Ebola outbreak in the region, saying the country had managed to contain the threat while keeping schools open and maintaining normal life.
She praised health workers for their dedication and for extending medical assistance to neighbouring countries, attributing the support to improvements in Uganda’s domestic health capacity.
“We thank You for building our internal capacity as a nation so that we are now able to be of help and support to our neighbours,” she said.
On the economy, the First Lady thanked God for progress towards commercial oil production, referring to the inauguration of Uganda’s crude oil project, named Pearl Sweet, as the country prepared for first production.
She described the development as the fulfilment of a long-standing vision of President Museveni.
“This was a vision You put in the heart of our President many decades ago and now finally we are beginning to see the fulfilment of that dream,” she said.
She prayed that the country’s natural resources would benefit Ugandans and contribute to economic growth.
Calls for irrigation and national unity
The First Lady also prayed for sufficient rainfall to support agriculture without causing destruction, particularly among farming communities whose livelihoods depend heavily on the weather.
She called for greater investment in irrigation, arguing that Uganda should make better use of its water resources rather than rely predominantly on rainfall.
“Help us to take more strides in the area of irrigation because You have blessed us with many water bodies across the nation and we need to use this water resource responsibly and not only rely on the rainfall,” she prayed.
Mrs Museveni also remembered the people of Tooro following the death of the kingdom’s young monarch, King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV, offering thanks for the comfort extended to his family and the wider community during their bereavement.
“We appreciate the comfort and consolation that You gave to the people of Tooro and Uganda as we grieved the loss of the young King Oyo,” she said.
Concluding her prayer, the First Lady called for national unity, invoking Exodus 33, in which Moses asks God to accompany His people on their journey.
Her remarks combined personal thanksgiving with prayers for Uganda’s leadership, public institutions, health sector, agriculture and economic future, as the country prepared to mark 64 years of independence.
