Janet Museveni power analysed

First Ladies as political activists

The researchers found that the first ladies acted as power brokers and members of an inner circle. They actively mobilised support for their spouses. They used strategies such as their personal narratives, their country’s liberation history, religion and culture. They supported their husbands’ campaigns and downplayed, denied or simply remained silent on the failures of their husbands’ governments.

They noted that beyond her career in politics, Janet Museveni is revered by some as the “Mother of the Nation” thanks to her social outreach on maternal health. They pointed out how, in 2014, the Global Decency Index (GDI), invented by Decent Africa, an African fashion brand, announced that she was “the most decent African First Lady”.

“Her pious, nurturing image contributes to her husband’s credibility locally and internationally,” the researchers said.

Born in 1949 and described as a “teacher by profession, politician by practice” Janet Museveni married Museveni in August 1973. Janet and Museveni lived in exile from 1971 until 1979, and again from 1981 until Museveni’s resistance movement captured power in 1986. She has been First Lady since January 1986.

She founded the Uganda Women’s Effort to Save Orphans (UWESO); an NGO dedicated to supporting children orphaned by HIV/AIDS, and also champions causes for the youth, women and children.

The researchers noted that she is a minister in her husband’s government and that when she was appointed as Minister of State for Karamoja by her husband in 2009, “the Karamojong saw the move as a sign of the President’s affection for them”.

Janet Museveni’s role as a member of Parliament representing Ruhaama County in Ntungamo District between 2006 and 2016 and her current position as Minister of Education and Sports was also noted.

In 2005, Janet expressed her ambition to join active politics and won a parliamentary seat in the 2006 general elections. She was re-elected in 2011, but did not seek re-election in 2016.

Finally the researchers noted that, “like her counterparts in Zimbabwe and Burundi, Janet Museveni believes that Museveni was ordained by God – as does he”.

Grace Mugabe of Zimbabwe is remembered for claiming publicly that even her husbandl then-President Robert Mugabe “were to be incapacitated, Zimbabweans would vote for him because he was God-ordained”.

Denise Nkurunziza, wife of President Pierre Nkurunziza of Burundi also uses religion to endorse and support her husband’s rule. She is also an ordained Reverend and leads the Burundi ruling party’s Women’s League (the Abakenyererarugamba).

Like other African First Ladies, she ensures that Christians are a significant audience for the Nkurunzizas. They often hold prayer groups and wash the feet of members of the congregation. In 2017, the ruling party promoted President Pierre Nkurunziza as the “Supreme Everlasting Guide” (“Visionary”), adding to the personality cult that had been emerging around him. In 2018, Pierre Nkurunziza established Thursdays as a national Burundian Day of Prayer devoted to Christ and to fasting with prayers “without exception” for the ruling party.

Another key constituency for Denise Nkurunziza was influential women who held senior positions across the political and military spectrum.

The office of the First Lady was also used to bolster diplomatic relations between Burundi and the international community.

Grace Mugabe was also recognised for success in gaining support for her husband’s tenure as well as her own political ambitions from religious leaders, youth and the Women’s League, traditional leaders, and minority apostolic churches.

Her political career spanned a mere three years (2014-2017) when she was elected as the President of the ZANU-PF Women’s League. This role meant that she automatically became a member of the party’s Politburo.

Besides addressing religious rallies, she used nationwide “Meet the People” tours to brand herself, and the President.

Grace Mugabe often welcomed and hosted foreign Heads of State and Government at her Harare home, and at State House. Her close proximity to the President gave her access to influential political networks that she exploited to buy properties and run businesses.