Museveni, Janet host evangelist LaDonna Osborn ahead of daughter Patience's consecration

Museveni’s Daughter Consecrated as Episcopal Bishop

Patience Kokundeka Museveni Rwabwogo, daughter of Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni and First Lady Janet Museveni, was consecrated as an Episcopal bishop of Covenant Nations Church on Sunday. The ceremony, held at the church’s Maya Campus in Kyengera Town Council, Wakiso District, marked the culmination of two decades of ministry that began as a small house fellowship.

Bishop Dr LaDonna Osborn presided as chief consecrator, presenting Bishop Patience with her certificate and Bible. Archbishop Moses Odongo and Bishop Joshua Lwere served as co-consecrators. Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye, global leader of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, led the anointing with oil and prayers, assisted by his wife, Pastor (Mrs.) Folu Adeboye.

The consecration was attended by Vice President Jessica Alupo, NRM First National Vice Chairperson Al-Hajji Moses Kigongo, security chiefs, diplomats, and religious leaders. Pastor Robert Kayanja and Prince Wasajja Kiwanuka were also present, alongside ministers and MPs, as well as Anglican, Catholic, and Muslim representatives.

A Milestone for Family and Country

President Museveni described the consecration as an unprecedented milestone for his family. He noted that Patience becomes the first bishop in the Museveni family, and reflected on the family’s spiritual heritage, tracing the arrival of Islam to 1841, Anglicanism to 1877, and Catholicism to 1879. He said his parents, Mzee Amos Kaguta and his mother, were among the first in the family to join the Church in 1947.

“I never had even a catechist in my family, so I thank God for having a whole bishop banange,” he said, according to reports. He also announced that he and Mama Janet would give Patience 50 cows as a gift.

Bishop Patience, who traces her Christian journey to age 11, said her faith was built on the spiritual foundation laid by her maternal grandparents and paternal grandmother, early believers in their extended families. In a previous interview with New Vision, she described the consecration as a call to greater responsibility rather than a pursuit of status.

“I never sought this office. For me, this consecration is not about status or recognition, it is about greater responsibility, deeper consecration and a higher level of service,” she said.

First Lady’s Return to Public Life

First Lady Janet Museveni, who also serves as Minister of Education and Sports, made a major public appearance at the consecration after more than five months away from the spotlight due to health challenges. Her absence had sparked intense speculation, particularly when she missed President Museveni’s swearing-in ceremony in May for the first time since 1996.

During the ceremony, Mama Janet delivered a prayer lasting more than 14 minutes, in which she reflected on her health ordeal, Uganda’s history, and the growth of the church. She said 2026 would forever remain the year God “delivered” her life from the jaws of death, and linked her recovery to her Christian faith, describing Jesus as “the healer, the great physician” and quoting Isaiah 53:5.

She also praised President Museveni for leading Uganda through a 40-year journey of rebuilding and recovery, citing the Lord’s Resistance Army war and other conflicts. She said Patience had answered the call to ministry 20 years ago, and prayed for fresh anointing for Patience and her husband Odrek Rwabwogo, and for the church to expand beyond Uganda.

President Museveni thanked God, medical personnel, and their children—Muhoozi, Natasha, Patience, and Diana—for supporting Janet during her illness. He also humorously noted that while he had spent 12 years studying the Bible from 1953, he learned from Patience about the descendants of Lot and Esau, acknowledging that she had read the scriptures more deeply.

A Historic Consecration

Mrs. Allen Kagina, who presented Bishop Patience on behalf of the church elders, cited her character, conduct, doctrine, leadership, and ministry, as well as her work in empowerment, youth, and unity through initiatives like Light Up Uganda for Jesus, alongside her husband Odrek Rwabwogo.

Odrek Rwabwogo noted that Mariam Kakyibara was the first woman baptised in Ankole in 1902, and that Patience is the first woman ordained as a bishop in Uganda. Episcopal symbols were presented by various church leaders: Apostle Alex Mitala presented the chemere, Bishop Simon Peter Emiau the tippet, Archbishop Moses Odongo the cross, Pastor Adeboye the ring and staff, Bishop Joshua Lwere the cope, and Bishop Dr LaDonna Osborn the mitre.

Prior State House Meeting

The consecration followed a meeting at State House Entebbe on Wednesday, August 19, where President and Mrs. Museveni hosted Bishop Dr LaDonna C. Osborn ahead of the ceremony. During that meeting, Dr Osborn recalled her first Uganda visit in 1985 with her late mother, who prayed with the family and gave the children their first Bibles. President Museveni wrote on X about the deep spiritual bond between the Osborn ministry and Uganda, describing the visit as a moment to reflect on the nation’s journey.