The first Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for East African Community Affairs, Rebecca Alitwala Kadaga, is making a steady recovery at Nairobi’s Aga Khan Hospital after being airlifted earlier this week following health complications.
A source close to Kadaga in a phone interview on Friday noted that her condition deteriorated due to what was described as campaign fatigue, just 25 days to the polls, necessitating her urgent evacuation. The source, however, dismissed claims circulating on social media that her condition was critical.
“The situation is not as bad as is being portrayed online,” the source said, referring to widely shared messages falsely announcing the veteran legislator’s death. “Mama Kadaga is responding well to treatment. Let everyone who cares know that she is improving. We ask for continued prayers for her full recovery.”
Another source, who also spoke on condition of anonymity, urged the public to remain calm and disregard unverified reports, especially amid the heightened political atmosphere. “We all fall ill at some point in life. There is no need to send the public into panic, particularly her supporters,” the source said. “What is important is that she is steadily recovering.”
Both sources expressed gratitude to friends, family, and well-wishers for the messages of support and concern.
Kadaga has represented Kamuli District in Parliament since 1989, making her one of Uganda’s longest-serving lawmakers and a prominent figure within the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM).
Her health scare comes at a time when her political influence within the NRM has appeared to wane, following her recent defeat in the party’s contest for the Central Executive Committee (CEC) female vice chairperson position. Kadaga lost the race to Parliament Speaker Anita Among, who reportedly garnered over 90 per cent of the vote.
The outcome has fuelled speculation about growing tensions between Kadaga and sections of the party leadership, including public admonishments from President Yoweri Museveni during internal party meetings. In her home Busoga sub-region, the setback has triggered mixed reactions, with some observers attributing it to deepening political divisions.
Political analysts view the episode as indicative of shifting power dynamics within the NRM, signalling a gradual erosion of Kadaga’s once-dominant position at the party’s top decision-making level. Despite these challenges, Kadaga remains a key figure in government. She was appointed First Deputy Prime Minister in June 2021, after serving as Uganda’s first female Speaker of Parliament from 2011 to 2021.
In recent months, she has spearheaded initiatives to improve cross-border infrastructure, including the construction of a modern market at the Elegu border to address flooding, improve sanitation, and boost regional trade. She has also championed social cohesion, notably speaking at Kampala’s Urban Refugee Marathon, where she promoted peaceful coexistence between refugees and host communities through sports.
On the international stage, Kadaga has represented Uganda at forums such as the African-Asian Legal Consultative Organisation (AALCO), where she advocated for coordinated global action against plastic pollution. Domestically, she has overseen the rollout of improved livestock breeds, cattle, poultry, goats, and pigs in Busoga, while publicly criticising officials over delays and misuse of resources.
In Buyende District, she cautioned residents against selling land to speculators ahead of planned nuclear power projects. But Kadaga’s election campaign has remained energetic, with rallies in Bugweri and Iganga mobilising NRM supporters to back President Museveni. In Kamuli, she launched the “Vote Museveni” campaign in September 2025.
Although police banned street processions on security grounds, the ceremonies proceeded under controlled conditions. Her contributions were recently recognised internationally when she received a 2025 World Book of Records honour in the United Kingdom for her role in advancing Uganda’s socio-economic development.
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