First Lady Janet Museveni has made her first major public appearance in more than five months, saying she survived what she described as “the jaws of death” after a prolonged illness.Janet, who had largely stayed away from the public spotlight after falling ill in April, made the remarks on Sunday during the consecration of her daughter, Patience Kokundeka Museveni Rwabwogo, as bishop of Covenant Nations Church at Maya-Luzira in Kampala.Although she briefly appeared several days ago at a reception for visiting American evangelist Bishop Dr LaDonna C. Osborn, Sunday’s ceremony marked her first appearance before a large gathering since her illness.In a prayer lasting more than 14 minutes, Janet, in a frail voice, reflected on her health ordeal, Uganda’s history and the growth of the church, while thanking Ugandans and Christians who prayed for her during her illness.She said she was particularly grateful that people she had supported and prayed for over the years, including widows, orphans and other vulnerable Ugandans, had remembered her during her hour of need.Janet attributed her recovery to her Christian faith, describing Jesus as “the healer, the great physician” and quoting Isaiah 53:5 on healing.Her prayer also turned into a reflection on Uganda’s history, with Janet crediting God for guiding the country through years of civil war, HIV/AIDS, insurgencies, poverty and the challenges of rebuilding after conflict.She praised President Yoweri Museveni for leading Uganda through what she described as a 40-year journey of rebuilding and recovery.“It was your presence that defeated the innumerable challenges we have faced these past 40 years,” she said, referring to the Lord’s Resistance Army insurgency in northern Uganda and other conflicts.Janet said she was particularly grateful that Uganda had transformed from a war-ravaged country into a nation contributing to regional peace and hosting refugees from neighbouring countries.Daughter consecrated bishopTurning to her daughter’s consecration, Janet described the occasion as a moment of great honour and joy for the family.“Today, we celebrate the consecration of our daughter, Patience, to the office of a bishop,” she said. “We are overwhelmed with joy and thanksgiving at the great honour you have bestowed over us in choosing one of our children to serve you in this capacity.”She said Patience answered the call to ministry 20 years ago and prayed for her and her husband, Odrek Rwabwogo, to receive “a fresh anointing of the Holy Spirit” as they continue with their ministry.Janet also prayed for Covenant Nations Church to expand beyond Uganda while remaining grounded in prayer, love and the preaching of what she called the undiluted word of God.At the end of the prayer, President Museveni warmly acknowledged his wife before taking the podium to deliver what he described as his “brief speech”.The Musevenis at their daughters consecrationMuseveni began by thanking God for Janet’s recovery and acknowledged the medical personnel and their children who supported her during her illness. He then congratulated Patience on becoming a bishop, saying the development represented a significant milestone for the family.Museveni on family’s Christian rootsMuseveni also reflected on his family’s encounter with Christianity, saying his ancestors had lived in the region long before the arrival of Islam and Christianity.He said Islam arrived in Uganda in the 1840s, followed by the Anglican Church in 1877 and Catholic missionaries in 1879.According to Museveni, his great-grandparents and grandparents did not embrace either Christianity or the colonial administration, with his immediate family only adopting Christianity in 1947.The President also praised his daughter’s knowledge of the Bible, revealing that although he had spent 12 years studying scripture, he had learnt new things from Patience’s writings.He said he was particularly surprised by her explanation of the descendants of Lot and Esau, which led him to conclude that she had studied the Bible more deeply than he had.“So I said, this young person has really read the Bible much more than myself, I surrendered,” he said.Museveni said Patience would bring “a lot of energy” to the church and thanked Bishop Osborn and Nigerian preacher Pastor Enoch Adeboye for travelling to Uganda for the consecration.He also urged religious leaders to focus on the substance of Christianity. The ceremony was attended by Vice President Jessica Alupo, ministers, MPs, religious leaders and cultural leaders.Among those present were Pastor Robert Kayanja, Prince David Wasajja Kiwanuka, representing the Buganda Kingdom, as well as representatives of the Anglican, Catholic and Muslim communities.The consecration brought together religious leaders and dignitaries from Uganda and abroad as Covenant Nations Church marked 20 years since Patience began pastoring the church.As a gesture of support to his daughter, Museveni announced that he and Mama Janet would give Patience 50 cows.The post I survived jaws of death, says First Lady Museveni as daughter becomes Bishop appeared first on The Observer Media Ltd.