Museveni Appoints Acting Education Minister to Replace Wife Amid Sickness Rumours

Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has appointed Dr John Chrysostom Muyingo as the Acting Minister of Education and Sports, temporarily taking over a position held by First Lady Janet Museveni.

In a statement issued by Uganda’s State House on Thursday, June 25, 2026, Museveni said the appointment takes immediate effect.

The statement noted that Dr Muyingo was appointed under the powers granted to the president by Uganda’s Constitution and will serve in the absence of a substantive minister.

“In exercise of the powers vested in the President under Article 99(1) of the Constitution of the Republic of Uganda, H.E. Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has appointed Hon. John Chrysostom Muyingo as the Acting Minister of Education and Sports in the absence of a substantive Minister,” read part of the statement.

The appointment comes months after President Museveni revealed that the First Lady had survived a serious health scare earlier this year.

Museveni Breaks Silence on Wife Janet’s Absence from Public Events

Speaking during Janet Museveni’s 78th birthday celebrations, the Ugandan leader disclosed that she had faced a life-threatening medical emergency on March 21, 2026.

Also Read: East Africa Law Society Issues Demands to Museveni After Karua’s Detention

Museveni said doctors, together with what he described as divine intervention, helped save her life.

However, the president did not reveal the nature of the illness or where she received treatment.

The revelation helped explain Janet Museveni’s absence from several high-profile public events in recent months, including her reserved seat remaining empty during President Museveni’s seventh-term inauguration ceremony at Kololo Independence Grounds.

Dr John Chrysostom Muyingo Profile

Dr Muyingo is a respected educationist, academic administrator, entrepreneur, and politician with decades of experience in Uganda’s education sector.

Also Read: Muhoozi Says He Will Succeed Museveni as Uganda’s Next President

Born in Bamunanika County in Luweero District, he studied at Makerere University, where he earned a Bachelor of Science with Education, majoring in Mathematics and Chemistry. He later obtained a Master’s degree in Educational Management and a PhD in Education.

He began his career as a secondary school teacher before rising through the ranks to become headteacher of Uganda Martyrs Secondary School, Namugongo.

Dr. Muyingo later entered politics and was elected Member of Parliament for Bamunanika County.

He has also served as Uganda’s State Minister for Higher Education, where he has championed reforms aimed at improving access to university education, strengthening quality assurance, promoting research, and supporting digital learning.

He is also credited with supporting the establishment of several educational institutions and expanding learning opportunities for thousands of students.

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Acting Uganda’s Education Minister John Chrysostom Muyingo. PHOTO/Kampala Journal