President Museveni in 2013, during the 40th marriage anniversary in Kiruhura got everyone on the edge of their seats when he, while making a toast to the love of his life fluffed his lines, especially at the point where he was supposed to say the word love.
The political strongman in him seemed in a very rare field of play, yet he was now in two capacities at the event, but most importantly one of a husband.
Museveni is not known as an emotional subject, he is a proven revolutionary whose soft personal side is held in the deepest part of the heart and only shows flashes in isolated bits.
Museveni emotional vulnerability to the fore
President Museveni was again in a familiar corner for the Golden Jubilee Celebrations at Irenga, Ntungamo.
Tailored in an unfamiliar outfit but considered in the colours, Museveni was beaming with a smile, looking sharp and shy and for once in many years, the one taking orders and guidance from others until his speech time.
He went about his vow lines without event and visibly looked pacy internally as Janet re-vowed to love him with all her might.
The Archbishop Stephen Mugalu Kazimba provided the cherry on the cake when he incited Museveni religiously, asking him:
“Gen Yoweri Kaguta Museveni do you take Maama Janet again to be your beloved wife, will you continue to love her, comfort her, honour her, protect her and continue to forsake all other women and remain faithful to her as long as you both shall live?” to which President Museveni replied without a doubt: “Yes I do” and the congregation went wild in church for a moment.
Janet Museveni also did her part of the vow, before she beckoned her husband to lead the new vow lines, which he ( Museveni humbly accepted to lead).
After the vows, which Museveni did all smiling, he switched back to his serious self and again it took another emotional moment to get him loose- a hug to his wife!
He remained smiling sheepishly for a moment until Kazimba again broke the ice, which must have sent Museveni a message that he ought to switch back to being the President again, he stood at attention and watched the proceedings like he was in his own tent.
Kazimba uses the moment to take a swipe at West over Homosexuality
There was never a right event to literally drive the point home on homosexuality like one where the person who signed Bill into Law and the one who advocated for it both sat.
Archbishop Kazimba used the moment to knock a few nails into the palms of the West when he directed his homily straight to those who were not straight.
“A statement is made, this is what Uganda believes, marriage is between a man and a woman, praise the Lord,” Kazimba launched and gave it a moment to sink while he relaxed behind the lectern like a well-satisfied cat.
Museveni pours out emotions once again
If there was a time to ask him to pledge to anything, Saturday was it. President Museveni was in the right mood and one needed not so much effort to hit his right notes. Below is his message in short:
Maama Janet and I celebrated 50 years of marriage in Ntungamo. Having gone through very turbulent times, I believe that if you do God’s work, God will do yours. I think I was meant to be a political priest because the nomadic life I led as a resistance fighter was not compatible with family life.
Yet, God gave me not only children and grandchildren but they were brought up very well by Maama Janet, the unstable situations we lived through between 1970 and 1986 notwithstanding.
I have also learnt that life and faciliations to life are far different things yet often confused. You can be wealthy, which is important, you can be educated, very important too, you have professional success, which too is great, those are all facilitations to your life. The true and real meaning of life is FAMILY because it guarantees the continuity of humanity. I have been blessed to have many of these things, but more than blessed to have family- life.
Maama Janet helped me to create a family, there would have been no children to care for if somebody had not brought them into life. Who helped me do that? Janet.
Working with her own efforts to supplement what the friends and sympathisers were providing and bringing our children up morally was Janet’s work in my almost total absence. God used Janet to make this family and sustain it.
I therefore thank God for my family, Maama Janet, the children and the grandchildren.
Political bells sound loud
The event told more than it should have or was meant to tell given the political circumstances we find ourselves in as a country at the moment.
President Museveni’s best man choice was an easy one, he went for his First Son Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba again as he did ten years ago in Kiruhura, only that this time, there were more people would read into his choice than in 2013 when Muhoozi was only a Brigadier with little to no ambitions.
Gen Muhoozi now a General, side by side with his wife Charlotte, sauntered behind the couple in the evening of their political careers and the photographs clicked. The result was a picture that people saw as one couple following in another couple’s footsteps.
Indeed, one would be blind enough not to see, or quite unmoved to propagate, it was a clear message done justice to by a perfectly timed picture.
Gen Muhoozi led the children to the speeches, while Odrek Rwabwogo led the in-laws to speeches, and it all looked like we were in a presidential debate between the incumbent and the opposition candidate.
Janet Museveni reveals secrets
The day was clothed in white, a peaceful colour and that was Janet Museveni’s message to the women. She said her secret to a wonderful long-term marriage with Museveni has been peace.
“I realized that it is a blessing to have your spouse and give him peace, let him be. Whatever he wants to do let him do because it is nothing. And Now I know and He ( Museveni knows) I do not follow him, picking little things, ladies Just let your husbands be,” Janet said.
The message by Janet was written all over the last version of the event as she stood watching while her husband forked into the cake and fed her a piece, she did the same.
She also looked on calmly as he took glasses of champagne, gave her one and retained one, then drove his glass into hers for a toast. Janet looked like a very humble and submissive woman to her husband as she had intimated earlier.
Although one thing still remains to write home about, Janet still has the better dance moves and that will be it.
