KAMULI, Uganda — The First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for East African Affairs, Ms. Rebecca Alitwala Kadaga, has issued a stern dismissal of social media reports claiming she is critically ill.
Speaking from her home in Mbulamuti, Kamuli District, on Christmas Day, the veteran legislator described the rumors as a manufactured campaign of misinformation.
Addressing the media shortly after attending Christmas services at St. Paul’s Church, Mbulamuti, Ms. Kadaga appeared in good spirits, emphasizing that the reports were entirely groundless. She categorized the surge in online speculation as a coordinated effort by paid actors.
“I am fine. I am alive. I have just come from church,” Ms. Kadaga stated. “There are people who are paid to abuse others on social media. If they don’t do it, they are not paid. It has become a big business, and it is sponsored.”
The remarks were a direct response to circulating claims that she had been airlifted to Aga Khan Hospital in Nairobi in critical condition—a narrative her aides attribute to simple campaign exhaustion rather than a medical emergency.
Ms. Kadaga has recently concluded an intensive mobilization drive across the Busoga sub-region and other parts of the country in support of President Museveni. Her chief campaigner, Mr. Felix Isabirye, noted last week that she was taking a scheduled “health leave” to recover from the physical demands of the trail.
Ms. Kadaga echoed this, noting that her current downtime is a standard part of her professional routine.
“I am resting, and it is not a big issue. I am busy doing my work. My voters are still there. You saw how many votes I scored during the primaries. That was a college system; this time it is universal suffrage, and I expect a much bigger margin,” she added.
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As she prepares to defend her seat as the Kamuli District Woman Member of Parliament (MP), Ms. Kadaga emphasized her belief in fair political contests. She rejected the idea of blocking opponents, advocating for the voters’ right to choose their representatives freely.
“Let the population choose. Give people a chance to decide. If you close the door to competition and then claim to be democratic, that is hypocrisy,” she asserted.
Ms. Kadaga remains one of Uganda’s longest-serving political figures, having held her seat in Parliament continuously since 1989. Despite the recent “campaign fatigue,” her team maintains she is fully focused on the upcoming 2026 general elections.
