Patience Rwabwogo consecration: First Lady Janet airs gratitude in prayer for ‘delivery from jaws of death’

First Lady Janet Museveni has thanked God for restoring her health, describing 2026 as the year her life was rescued “from the very jaws of death”. She spoke on Sunday, August 23, 2026, during the consecration of her daughter, Patience Rwabwogo, to the Episcopal Office of Bishop at Maya.

It was Mrs Museveni’s first public address since she fell ill in March. In an emotional prayer, she said she was alive and well because of God’s healing and thanked Ugandans who prayed for her when she could not pray for herself. 

She said churches, intercessors, widows, orphans and other people she had prayed for over the years stood with her during her illness.

The First Lady also reflected on Uganda’s recovery from years of conflict and thanked God for President Yoweri Museveni’s leadership. 

She then turned to her family, describing Rwabwogo’s consecration as another reason for thanksgiving and a sign that God had remembered the family’s years of service. 

Heavenly father

We come before you today with hearts full of thanksgiving, we are overwhelmed by your mercies towards us. How gracious! How merciful and compassionate you have been towards us.

The Psalmist declared in Psalms 136:1, “Give thanks to the Lord for his good; for his mercy love and kindness endure forever” Today is a special day in the lives of our family and the body of Christ It is a moment of encounter, a time when we come into your presence to give thanks and renew our covenant and commitment to you.

Father, thank you for your remarkable faithfulness to us as a nation. We stand amazed as we look back at our journey with you. It is you alone that pulled Uganda out of the dustbin of history when we had no help and no one to rescue us.

You came to our rescue in the dark days of civil war; violence and bloodshed when families scattered to the four corners of the world as refugees. You had mercy as you always do. You followed and watched over us as a shepherd watches over their sheep You protected and reserved Mzee through the protected bush war and you gave him victory against impossible odds.

After years of wandering the earth as exiles, you finally brought us home to our nation in peace. Like the children of Israel when they returned from captivity, it was like a dream to return home to our beloved Uganda.

When God turned the capacity of Zion, they were like those who dream. Their mouths filled with laughter and tongues with joyful shouting. Then they said among the nations, ‘the Lord has done great things for them. The Lord has done great things for us.

40 years ago, you began a remarkable journey of rebuilding and recovery as a nation under the leadership of your servant Yoweri Museveni. You made him a faithful servant of the house of Uganda. He has led us well and your presence has been with hom.

Lord, we thank you. It was your presence that defeated the innumerable challenges that we have faced these past 40 years; the epidemic of HIV/AIDS, the war in northern Uganda, Alice Lakwena and many other insurgencies, poverty and the struggle to rebuild the nation after years of war,

You defeated all the enemies of Uganda, you brought us out of the pit and into a wide and open space. Your word has elevated our nation and restored dignity to our people . It is because of your mercy Lord and we thank you.

To think that Uganda, which was a war ravaged nation only 40 years ago is now a net exporter of peace to the region and beyond through the UPDF peacekeeping mission; to think that Uganda, whose people were scattered around the world as refugees now hosts more than 1 million refugees from the region; to think that Uganda, which was brought to its knees economically through years of civil war, is now prospering and thriving across numerous sectors; to think that Uganda, where the church was persecuted and in hiding underground is now hosting great servants of God continually; the explosion of church growth in Uganda is testament to the freedom of worship and of expression that we have enjoyed all these years.

You are the God of the turn around and you have turned around our situation in our favour; we cannot fail to thank you Lord As a family, we have much to thank you for. You have been very gracious and compassionate to us all.

You have blessed the president and I with long lives and we have lived to see our children and grandchildren. We have seen the peace and prosperity of Uganda all these years. 2026 is forever marked as a year you delivered my own life form the very jaws of death; when the enemy came in like a flood, you lifted the standard against him Thank you Lord for delivering my life from the hand of the enemy.

Thank you for proving yourself true and faithful to your word Thank you Lord Jesus for revealing yourself as a redeemer, the one who paid the price for our freedom Thank You Lord Jesus that you are the healer, the great physician.

The doctor who never refers a case. I am alive and well today because of the redeeming work that Jesus accomplished on the cors. Isaiah 53:5 declares; he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our sins, a punishment necessary to instill peace, and by his stripes we are healed and made whole.

Thank you Lord for your finished work on the cross and redeeming our lives from the curse of the law We are witnesses and testify that the word is true. Thank you for the praying church in Uganda. When I could not pray for myself, you raised faithful watchmen and intercessors who gave you no rest, day and night and they interceded for my life, and you, in your mercy heard their prayers and saved me.

Lord, you know that in all these many years, I have prayed for the people of Uganda, for the widows and their orphans, for the vulnerable. I thank you that in my hour of need, they also prayed for me.

Today we celebrate the consecration of our daughter Patience to the office of a Bishop We are overwhelmed with joy and thanksgiving and what a great honor  you have bestowed on us by choosing one of our children to serve you in this capacity

This consecration proves that you remember the faithful sacrifices of your saints who have since long gone to glory; our parents who have were evangelists of the gospel and lifted members of their community through education ; you remember our grand parents and their lives of surrender to your will and purpose Oh Lord, you do not forget your people and their sacrifices. Thank you for being a God who remembers your people

This day also shows that you have remembered Mzee and I and our years of service to you and the people

This consecration is a great comfort to us because it shows us that you have received our service and sacrifice and are pleased with us Thank you for remembering Patience and Odrek and their family, since Patience was a child.

She has followed closely after you. 20 years ago, he answered a call to the ministry when your presence came and settled over the home. Thank you for being their strength  all these years as they have served you faithfully with all their heart They have given their all to this call and we believe you have received their service, worship to your great name.

Thank you Lord for choosing them to do this work We pray that you will now empower them with a fresh announcement of the Holy Spirit to do this work. Please hear and answer their hearts’ cry. For without you they can do nothing.

I thank you for the blessing of Covenant of Nations Church; a great force in the nation and in the kingdom of God; we pray that you will grant them grace to grow with a growth that is from God. May you always be enthroned as the God of CNC; may you do great exploits through your people as the church expands out of Uganda; may the center hold. May they build on the cornerstone of Jesus Christ and the church stand as a witness for generations to come.

Thank you for the leaders and elders of CNC who have faithfully walked this journey Heavenly father, thank you for who you are to us, the story of your life is really your story

Thank you for giving us a part to play in the grand design May you help us to stand faithfully until then and when all is said and done; grant us the grace to enter the kingdom you have prepared for us. We love you Lord and we thank you, in Jesus might name we have prayed