They are very powerful and influential women. They all serve President Museveni. If you attack the president, they attack you. If want to keep put of trouble, you do not cross their paths. They are “Museveni’s Women.”
Bbeg Media profiles some of the women who will do anything to keep Museveni in power.
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Janet Museveni
By virtue of being the First Lady, Janet Kataha Museveni is the most powerful woman around President Museveni. She is also the minister of Education and Sports, one of the most funded ministries. She is always by her husband’s side at public functions. Janet has over the years influenced promotions and appointments in government and the public sector. You only cross her path at great risk. Little wonder that even old men some in their 80s, call her “Maama.”
Anita Among
Anita Among is the Speaker of Parliament and the third most senior citizen after the president and vice president. She controls a parliamentary budget of more than Shs 800 billion and wields so much power. Rarely has the speaker of Parliament been so powerful. Big men and women kneel before her, asking for favours. Recently while launching her teaching hospital, President Museveni praised her for “taming the opposition” in Parliament. She has in turn pledged total loyalty and support to the president.
Robinah Nabbanja
Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja needs little introduction. She has climbed the political ladder from district councillor to leader of government business. She is also an effective grassroots mobiliser. Nabbanja is a fighter who will do anything to protect her territory. She is also on the president’s speed dial and has carried out many sensitive assignments on behalf of Museveni. When the president asks her to jump, she asks: “how high.” Museveni did not appoint her prime minister out of the blue.
Col Edith Nakalema
Col Edith Nakalema is the head of the State House Investors Protection Unit which was established to protect investors from being fleeced. In that role she controls a vital element of the economy.
Nakalema has been powerful for the last ten years starting from the time she served as personal assistant to President Museveni. She fights fiercely to protect her turf and does not take prisoners.
The president has so much faith in Nakalema that is why he appoints her to sensitive positions. In turn, she will do anything to defend the president.
Hajjat Hadijah Namyalo Uzeiye
Namyalo is new on the scene but she has already set tongues wagging. She is the manager of the Office of the National Chairman (ONC) based in Kyambogo. She had endless financial resources which have made her the envy of the official NRM secretariat. She may be small in size but her power and influence is as big as Namboole Stadium. She speaks quietly but firmly.You are either with her or against her like the Lwengo LCV chairman Ibrahim Kitatta discovered. She heads Museveni’s covert mobilization activities in the country and will do anything to protect Museveni.
Dr Monica Musenero
Musenero, the minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, became powerful as an informal advisor to the president during the Covid-19 pandemic. On several occasions during his televised speeches in Covid, Museveni would turn to Musenero to clarify technical matters. You touch Dr Monica Musenero, you anger Museveni. Ask Yona Musinguzi, the MP for Ntungamo Municipality who accused the Musenero of mismanaging the innovation fund for developing the Covid-19 vaccine. Museveni told him to “shut up.”
Lucy Nakyobe
Nakyobe is the cabinet secretary and head of the public service. She previously served as State House Comptroller where she amassed power and influence. If you recall the photo of Museveni carrying out bottle irrigation at his Kawumu farm, the lady who was helping Museveni push the bicycle on which the bottles were hanged is Nakyobe. Quiet and deceptively shy, Nakyobe can hold her own in whatever room you put her in. She has say in many of the decisions taken in cabinet and those who seek the favour of the president have to treat her well. She is one of the president’s women.
Diana Atwine
Atwine, the permanent secretary in the ministry of Health is the only doctor who has publicly injected Museveni. She is also the only doctor who has publicly drawn blood from Museveni for an HIV test. She was educated by President Museveni who first deployed her to head the State House Health Monitoring Unit. Even ministers in her ministry bow to her. She has been around the president for more than two decades and does not intend to let up now.
Jane Barekye
She is the State House Comptroller, a position that makes her powerful and influential. She controls all resources and monies that go through State House. In her role she gets to decide who gets what from the president. While the president may say “give so and so Shs 100 million”, Barekye will ultimately decide whether you get that money or not. She is very powerful and controls access to the president.
