President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has revealed that a divine voice once prevented him from signing the death sentence of former minister Chris Rwakasisi, who was previously his political rival.
Speaking at the 2025 National Prayer Breakfast at State House Entebbe, themed “The Power of Forgiveness and Reconciliation,” Museveni recounted praying about Rwakasisi’s case years ago and feeling an inner voice urging him not to approve the execution.
“I went to the small old office of the president here at State House,” Museveni said. “I prayed and asked God, ‘In this case of Chris, is it really true that he killed these people and should be hanged, or could there have been mistakes?’ Then a voice — I don’t know what to call it — inside me said, ‘Uh-uh, don’t sign that instrument.’”
Museveni explained that this moment changed the course of Rwakasisi’s life. “That’s why up to now, we keep him,” he added, noting the importance of blending Christianity with modern law.
Chris Rwakasisi was a significant figure in President Milton Obote’s second government (1980–1985), serving as Minister of State for Security. After Obote’s regime fell in 1985, Rwakasisi was arrested and later convicted for killings during his tenure. He spent 24 years in prison, much of it on death row, before receiving a presidential pardon in 2009.
His release marked a rare act of reconciliation between former political adversaries — the man who once opposed Museveni’s National Resistance Army and the man who would become Uganda’s longest-serving President.
At the Prayer Breakfast, Rwakasisi shared his journey of forgiveness. “In my life, there were two people I was angry at — God and Museveni,” he said. “I felt God had forgotten me, and Museveni always said I killed his children. But over time, divine grace helped me forgive and move past bitterness.”
The event, attended by First Lady Janet Museveni, religious leaders, and dignitaries, highlighted how faith and personal conviction influenced one of Uganda’s most notable acts of mercy. “Forgiveness is not weakness,” Museveni concluded. “It is strength guided by God.”
