In one of the most candid and emotional moments of the recent Cabinet induction retreat in Kyankwanzi, the Minister of State for Gender, Labour and Social Development in charge of Elderly Affairs, Jacqueline Mbabazi, laid bare the dramatic lifestyle changes her family endured after her husband, former Prime Minister Amama Mbabazi, lost his powerful position in government.
Addressing newly appointed and returning ministers, Jacqueline recounted how life changed almost overnight.
“I woke up one morning and all of a sudden somebody was withdrawing the entire security. The cars were gone,” she said, recalling the period after Amama Mbabazi left office following his 2016 presidential bid.
She revealed that the once heavily guarded family suddenly found itself without security, forcing them to adapt to a completely different way of life.
“The former Prime Minister became the driver,” she told the audience, drawing attention to how quickly political privilege can disappear.
Jacqueline also spoke of abandoning the luxury shopping trips she once enjoyed in New York and London. Instead, she found herself travelling to the small town of Kihihi in Kanungu District in search of a local tailor to make her dresses.
“I started putting on my nice bitenges of Shs70,000, and I was really smart and happy,” she said, describing the experience as a lesson in humility rather than hardship.
Perhaps the most striking moment came when she disclosed that her family’s security now largely depends on two dogs.
“Today, before I get more security because now I’m a minister, my security are two nice dogs.”
She used her personal story to urge ministers to remain emotionally grounded and prepare both themselves and their families for life beyond public office.
Jacqueline recounted attending a family gathering where two young children proudly introduced themselves as “children of the minister.” Their confidence, she said, was a wake-up call about the dangers of raising children to believe political office places them above others.
“As we deal with our emotional intelligence, let’s also train our children not to think that they are up there,” she advised.
Despite returning to Cabinet, Jacqueline insisted she had not come back to reclaim the privileges of power.
“I’m not back because I miss the past. I’m back because of the conviction to help some vulnerable older persons of this country.”
Her testimony left ministers with a powerful reminder that public office is temporary, but humility, resilience and service to the nation endure far beyond the trappings of power.
