Ugandan President Museveni and First Lady issue rare public apology amid pre-election tensions
Critics dismissed the public repentance as a carefully choreographed political move, arguing it was only appropriate if Museveni was announcing his retirement.
In a rare show of humility, Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni and First Lady Janet Museveni publicly apologised to citizens for the government’s failures, as the country prepares for general elections next year.
Addressing attendees at a national evangelical convention organised by their daughter, Pastor Patience Rwabwogo, over the weekend, the powerful couple acknowledged governance failures, corruption and citizen alienation, particularly in Buganda.
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Standing side-by-side, they delivered a joint prayer of repentance, admitting to negligence and seeking forgiveness.
"We acknowledge that we're human, have missed you and have made mistakes in one way or the other. Forgive us, oh Lord," the Musevenis said jointly in their joint repentance prayer," they said, according to The Monitor.
"As the top leaders of the Movement, we humbly take responsibility for all the mistakes made by ourselves, our agents and representatives."
Buganda region sidelined
The Ugandan First Lady directly addressed long-standing grievances from the Buganda region, acknowledging that the government had sidelined its grassroots supporters.
"We stand here to repent and ask for your forgiveness, especially from the people of Buganda, and the whole country. There has been marked laxity, negligence and lack of diligence... Many grassroots supporters have become angry and often feel neglected or forgotten," she said.
The Musevenis concluded their statement by appealing to a higher power for national healing and reconciliation.
"Lord, restore the favour we had at the beginning. Soften hardened hearts and connect us to the original vision of national unity and transformation," they said.
Public repentance dismissed
However, critics have dismissed the public repentance as a carefully choreographed political move, arguing it was only appropriate if Museveni was announcing his retirement.
"What the president said would have made so much sense if he were quitting to retire peacefully at his ancestral home in Rwakitura," said Sarah Birete, head of the Centre for Constitutional Governance (CCG), in an interview with NTV Uganda.
"It's the right thing for the Musevenis to do, but his time to apologise is long past," added political historian, Dr John Paul Kasujja.
Experts have also interpreted the apology as a move aimed at repairing relations with Buganda, a region deeply intertwined with Uganda's political and cultural landscape.
Buganda, which played a pivotal role in supporting Museveni's ascent during the 1981-1986 bush war, has gradually shifted its allegiance toward the opposition, particularly following the violent 2009 clashes triggered by disputes with Kabaka Mutebi's monarchy.
Museveni has been accused of using religious platforms to soften public perception ahead of the 2026 polls.
Museveni, who has ruled Uganda since 1986, has been widely criticised for consolidating power through constitutional amendments that removed presidential term and age limits, suppressing dissent and stifling the opposition.
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