Janet Kainembabazi Museveni (''née'' Kataaha; born June 24, 1948) is a

Ugandan }), is a landlocked country in East Africa. The country is bordered to the east by Kenya, to the north by South Sudan, to the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, to the south-west by Rwanda, and to the south by Tanzania. The southe ...

politician who has been the

First Lady First lady is an unofficial title usually used for the wife, and occasionally used for the daughter or other female relative, of a non-monarchical A monarchy is a form of government in which a person, the monarch, is head of state fo ...

Uganda }), is a landlocked country in East Africa East Africa, Eastern Africa, or East of Africa, is the eastern subregion of the African continent. In the United Nations Statistics Division scheme of geographic regions, 10-11-(16*) territor ...

since 1986. She is married to President

Yoweri Museveni Yoweri Kaguta Museveni Tibuhaburwa (born 15 September 1944) is a Ugandan politician and retired senior military officer who has been the 9th and current President of Uganda since 26 January 1986. Museveni spearheaded rebellions with aid of then ...

, with whom she has four children. She has been Cabinet Minister of Education and Sports in the Ugandan Cabinet, since 6 June 2016, although her own education record is questioned. She previously served as Minister for Karamoja Affairs in the Cabinet of Uganda from 27 May 2011 until 6 June 2016. She also served as the elected

Member of Parliament A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house members of ...

representing Ruhaama County in

Ntungamo District Ntungamo District is a district in Western Uganda. Like most Ugandan districts, it named after its 'chief town', Ntungamo, the location of the district headquarters. Ntungamo was elevated to a district on 5th May 1993. Overview In the past, Ntun ...

, between 2011 and 2016. She published her autobiography, ''My Life's Journey'', in 2011. Yoweri Kaguta Museveni with Obamas

Early life and marriage

Janet Kainembabazi Kataaha was born in Kajara County,

to Mr. Edward Birori and Mrs. Mutesi. She attended Kyamate Primary School, and

Bweranyangi Girls' Senior Secondary School Bweranyangi Girls' Secondary School is a girls-only boarding middle and high school in Bushenyi District in the Western Region of Uganda. Location The school campus is located on Bweranyangi Hill (elevation:) in the southern suburbs of the town ...

in Uganda. She was awarded a Master of Arts in Organisational Leadership and Management on 30th October 2015 from Uganda Christian University. Janet Museveni went into exile in 1971, when

Idi Amin Idi Amin Dada Oumee (, ; 16 August 2003) was a Ugandan military officer and politician who served as the third president of Uganda from 1971 to 1979. He ruled as a military dictator and is considered one of the most brutal despots in modern w ...

toppled the

Milton Obote Apollo Milton Obote (28 December 1925 – 10 October 2005) was a Ugandan political leader who led Uganda to independence from British colonial rule in 1962. Following the nation's independence, he served as prime minister of Uganda from 1962 to ...

regime in a military coup. She married Yoweri Museveni in August 1973. When Idi Amin's regime fell from power in April 1979, she moved back to Uganda from

Tanzania Tanzania (; ), officially the United Republic of Tanzania ( sw, Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania), is a country in East Africa within the African Great Lakes region. It borders Uganda to the north; Kenya to the northeast; Comoro Islands and ...

where she had been living in exile with her husband. In February 1981 when Yoweri Museveni launched his

guerrilla war Guerrilla warfare is a form of irregular warfare in which small groups of combatants, such as paramilitary personnel, armed civilians, or irregulars, use military tactics including ambushes, sabotage, raids, petty warfare, hit-and-run tactic ...

against the government of President Obote, Janet Museveni and her children re-located to

Nairobi Nairobi ( ) is the capital and largest city of Kenya. The name is derived from the Maasai phrase ''Enkare Nairobi'', which translates to "place of cool waters", a reference to the Nairobi River which flows through the city. The city proper ha ...

Kenya ) , national_anthem = "Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu"() , image_map = , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Nairobi , coordinates = , largest_city = Nairobi , ...

, where they lived with family friends until 1983. In 1983, they moved to

Gothenburg Gothenburg (; abbreviated Gbg; sv, Göteborg ) is the second-largest city in Sweden, fifth-largest in the Nordic countries, and capital of the Västra Götaland County. It is situated by the Kattegat, on the west coast of Sweden, and has ...

Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic country located on ...

, and stayed there until May 1986, four months after Yoweri Museveni's

National Resistance Army The National Resistance Army (NRA), the military wing of the National Resistance Movement (NRM), was a rebel army that waged a guerrilla war, commonly referred to as the Ugandan Bush War or Luwero War, against the government of Milton Obote, and l ...

had seized power in

Kampala Kampala (, ) is the capital and largest city of Uganda. The city proper has a population of 1,680,000 and is divided into the five political divisions of Kampala Central Division, Kawempe Division, Makindye Division, Nakawa Division, and Ruba ...

Career

Janet Museveni founded the Uganda Women's Effort to Save Orphans (UWESO), a private relief agency in late 1986, which she said was shaped by her experience as a refugee. She became involved with the HIV/AIDS campaigns in Uganda in the 1990s, forging ties with radical pastor

Martin Ssempa Martin Ssempa (born 1968) is a Ugandan pastor, activist, and the founder of the Makerere Community Church. He referred to himself as Pastor Doctor Martin Ssempa, but now calls himself Gabriel Baaba Gwanga'mujje Eri Yesu. Ssempa first came to ...

for

abstinence-only sex education in Uganda Uganda is one of the few Sub-Saharan African countries that has adopted abstinence-only sex education as an approach of sexual education that emphasizes abstinence from sexual intercourse until marriage as the only option. Abstinence-only sex educ ...

. In November 2005, she announced that she would seek the parliamentary seat of Ruhaama county in the February 2006 general elections. She contested the seat against the candidate for the

Forum for Democratic Change The Forum for Democratic Change ( sw, Jukwaa la Mabadiliko ya Kidemokrasia; FDC), founded on 16 December 2004, is the main opposition party in Uganda. The FDC was founded as an umbrella body called Reform Agenda, mostly for disenchanted former m ...

, Augustine Ruzindana, and won overwhelmingly. She was re-elected in March 2011 to another five-year term. On 16 February 2009, Janet Museveni was appointed State Minister for Karamoja Affairs, by her husband, President Yoweri Museveni. On 27 May 2011, she was elevated to Minister for Karamoja Affairs, complete with a State Minister for Karamoja Affairs. On 6 June 2016, after her husband's re-election as President, she was appointed Minister of Education and Sports.

Children

The four children of Janet and Yoweri Museveni are: *

Muhoozi Kainerugaba Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba (born 24 April 1974) is an Ugandan general and son of president Yoweri Museveni. He has been commander of the Special Forces Command (SFC) from 2008 to 2017, and again from December 2020 to 2021, then commander of the l ...

– Born 1974,

General A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of highest military ranks, high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry. In some usages the term "general officer" refers t ...

in the UPDF and a Presidential Adviser. * Natasha Karugire – Born 1976, fashion designer and consultant. Married to Edwin Karugire. Private Secretary to the

President of Uganda The president of the Republic of Uganda is the head of state and the head of government of Uganda. The president leads the executive branch of the government of Uganda and is the commander-in-chief of the Uganda People's Defence Force. The in ...

for Household Affairs. * Patience Rwabwogo – Born 1978, pastor of Covenant Nations Church, Buziga,

– Married to Odrek Rwabwogo. * Diana Kamuntu – Born 1980, married to Geoffrey Kamuntu.

Published works

References

External links