For the second time in 40 years, Janet Kataha Museveni, the first lady and minister of Education, did not attend her husband’s swearing-in ceremony.
Museveni was accompanied to Kololo Independence Grounds today by her daughter, Natasha Karugire. She stood beside him as he took the oath.
Since late March 2026, Janet has been out of the public eye, prompting widespread rumours that she is ill or hospitalised.
The government has neither confirmed nor denied the nature of her absence, and no official statement has been issued by the State House. However, in March, President Museveni told a cabinet meeting that Janet was unwell but that she would be okay.
The first lady was also not physically present at the Kuhingira, the traditional marriage ceremony, of her granddaughter Sasi Karugire last month.
President Museveni attended the ceremony, describing it as a moment of personal joy and faith. Her absence from such an intimate family milestone added to the growing public concern about her condition.
Janet’s absence marks only the second time she has not attended her husband’s swearing-in since he first came to power.
She was still in Sweden when Museveni took the oath of office on the steps of parliament in January 1986, marking the start of a presidency that has now stretched across four decades.
Janet’s prolonged and unexplained absence has become one of the more closely watched stories in Uganda in the weeks leading up to the inauguration.
