IN SHORT: Months of public absence have fuelled speculation about the health of Uganda's first lady, Janet Museveni. But she is alive, contrary to claims made online, and has confirmed she is recovering from an illness.

An image appearing to show the front page of Uganda's Daily Monitor newspaper for 8 June 2026 continues to be shared on Facebook, with the sensational headline: "What Killed Janet?"

The image features a photo of Uganda's first lady and education minister, Janet Museveni, alongside the newspaper's logo and branding.

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The claim emerged after Museveni had not been seen in public since late March, fuelling speculation about her health and whereabouts. She missed several high-profile events, including an education ministry function on 1 April, where she was expected to officiate. She also did not attend president Yoweri Museveni's inauguration for a seventh term on 12 May. Instead, the president was accompanied by the couple's daughter, Natasha.

The front page image has also been posted here, here, here and here.

But is it genuine? We checked.

Fake front page

The Daily Monitor publishes its front pages on its official Facebook and X accounts. Africa Check searched both platforms but found no trace of the version circulating online.

Instead, we found the genuine front page from 8 June. It uses the same photograph of Janet Museveni but with a different headline: "Where is Janet?"

On 24 June, Yoweri Museveni said his wife had fallen seriously ill on 21 March but was recovering well. He did not disclose the nature of her illness. The first lady later thanked Ugandans for their prayers and support, confirming she was on the road to recovery.

The circulating front page has been digitally altered. Daily Monitor did not publish a front page suggesting Janet Museveni was dead.