#ugandan

By Charlene Maduma

For more than five decades, Uganda's President Yoweri Museveni and First Lady Janet Museveni have shared a marriage that has endured political upheaval, exile and the demands of public office. This week, the Ugandan leader offered a rare glimpse into the deeply personal story behind their relationship, recounting how an unexpected reunion on Christmas Day in 1972 changed the course of his life.

In a heartfelt series of posts on X titled From Omugurusi Ampa to Maama Giinga, Museveni reflected on the events that led him to reconnect with Janet during one of the most turbulent periods in Uganda's history. The posts, shared as a birthday tribute to the First Lady, revealed a side of the veteran leader that is seldom seen in public, focusing not on politics but on faith, family and gratitude.

Although Museveni and Janet both came from Ntungamo District in western Uganda and had attended Kyamate School together in 1958, their paths diverged as Uganda descended into political instability. Following the overthrow of President Milton Obote by Idi Amin in January 1971, Museveni went into exile in neighbouring Tanzania, where he joined efforts to organise armed resistance against Amin's regime.

Looking back on those years, Museveni described a life dominated by conflict and survival. He recalled the failed military operation in Mbarara on 17 September 1972, where an attack involving 330 fighters ended in devastating losses because many participants lacked military training. By the end of the day, he said, only 46 members of his group had managed to withdraw safely.

With his attention fixed on the struggle against Amin, marriage was far from his mind. That changed unexpectedly on Christmas Day in 1972 when he travelled to Nairobi while preparing for another phase of the resistance. As he parked outside the Inter-Continental Hotel, he noticed members of the Kazzora family leaving after lunch, among them Janet Kataaha, whom he had known during their school days.

"I immediately got out of the car and greeted them," Museveni recalled. While Janet and Jennifer Kutesa recognised him from their childhood in Ntungamo, Janet's parents did not know him personally. Museveni described the encounter as "God's miracle", saying it was the unexpected reunion that transformed his future.

"It is that accidental and miraculous re-connection that enabled me to have a family even when I was still in the risky life of exile and the Resistance," he wrote.

The president shared the story as he celebrated Janet Museveni's 78th birthday on 24 June. His tribute blended affection with gratitude, acknowledging not only the life they had built together but also the personal hardships she endured after losing her father, Mzee Edward Kataaha, in 1955.

"The family and myself thank God for having given us Maama, kept her safe in the years of orphanhood... and prospering her in the subsequent years up to today," Museveni wrote.

Today, the couple are parents to four children and grandparents to fifteen grandchildren. Museveni ended his tribute with a touch of humour, remarking that he was now "threatening to have great-grandchildren."

Their marriage has remained one of the most enduring partnerships among Africa's serving heads of state. In August 2023, President Museveni and Janet Museveni renewed their wedding vows to mark their golden jubilee, celebrating 50 years of marriage. Their son, Muhoozi Kainerugaba, served as best man, while his wife was the maid of honour.

While Museveni's political career continues to attract both admiration and criticism across the continent, his latest reflections offered something different. They reminded many Ugandans that behind decades of leadership is a family story shaped by chance, faith and resilience. What began as a brief encounter outside a Nairobi hotel during a time of exile would become one of the defining relationships of his life.