Kenya’s First Daughter, Charlene Ruto, has described her latest visit to Uganda as a homecoming, referring to President Yoweri Museveni and First Lady Janet Museveni as her “Ugandan grandparents” following high-level engagements in Kampala and Entebbe this week.
In a post shared on X, Ruto said she had a “cheerful and robust engagement” with the Ugandan leaders at State Lodge Nakasero, adding that it was an honour to “sit at their feet and learn from their wisdom and experience” as she shared her work focused on empowering young people in Kenya and across Africa.
“Yebare Munonga!” she wrote, using a Runyankole phrase to express gratitude.
Meeting with Musevenis
According to posts by Yoweri Museveni on his official X account, he and Janet Museveni welcomed Ruto and her delegation at State Lodge Nakasero, describing her as their “Muzzukulu” — Luganda for grandchild.
Museveni said their discussions centered on areas of cooperation and shared interest, particularly the need for Africa to focus on value addition and job creation.
“Africa must continue to focus on value addition in order to create jobs and retain wealth within our region,” Museveni wrote, adding that they explored ways of strengthening regional collaboration to expand opportunities for young people.
Ruto, in turn, highlighted shared goals in climate action, education and health, noting that her Pan-African youth network aims to connect and empower young leaders across the continent.
Engagement with Uganda’s Military Leadership
On February 25, Ruto also met Muhoozi Kainerugaba, Uganda’s Chief of Defence Forces, in Entebbe. During the meeting, she presented him with a copy of Sowing the Mustard Seed, a book authored by her father, William Ruto.
The symbolic gesture underscored the close ties between the two countries’ leadership and the growing interactions between members of their first families.
Youth Agenda and Regional Bonds
Ruto has positioned herself as a youth advocate championing enterprise development, climate resilience and skills training. During her Uganda visit, she reiterated plans to expand her youth-focused initiatives beyond Kenya to other African nations.
Her engagements come at a time when Kenya and Uganda maintain strong economic relations, with bilateral trade reportedly exceeding $1.5 billion in 2025. The two neighbours are key partners within the East African Community, collaborating on trade, infrastructure and security.
Online reactions to the visit have largely praised the symbolism of East African unity and youth engagement, though some commentators have questioned the optics of prominent political families taking visible roles in regional diplomacy.
For Ruto, however, the message was one of intergenerational learning and continental solidarity. “It was an honour,” she wrote, “to learn from their wisdom and experience as we work to unlock opportunities for Africa’s young people.”
