When Museveni Used to Live in Exile In Nairobi’s Shauri Moyo Estate Before Power

Long before Yoweri Museveni became one of Africa’s longest-serving presidents, his family lived a life of constant fear and uncertainty in Nairobi, forced into exile as political tensions in Uganda turned deadly in the early 1980s.

Following the disputed 1980 elections that returned Milton Obote to power, Museveni emerged as one of the fiercest opponents of the new government. 

As security crackdowns intensified, his wife Janet Museveni and their young children were forced to flee Uganda to avoid becoming targets of state-backed violence. 

Their escape to Kenya marked the beginning of a precarious chapter defined by secrecy, surveillance, and survival.

According to accounts from Janet Museveni’s memoirs, the decision to leave Uganda did not come easily. 

Having previously endured life as a refugee in Tanzania during the struggle against Idi Amin, she initially resisted another uprooting. 

However, growing threats against the family and warnings from Museveni himself convinced her that remaining in Uganda posed an unacceptable risk to their children.

The family’s journey to Nairobi was carefully planned to avoid detection by Ugandan intelligence operatives. 

The children were sent ahead with trusted contacts, while Janet followed separately, limiting the chances of attracting attention at border points and airports. Museveni kept his distance during these arrangements to reduce the risk of exposing their movements.

Once in Nairobi, the family moved between several neighbourhoods as they tried to establish a sense of normalcy while remaining under the radar. 

They stayed briefly with allies of the Ugandan opposition before settling into modest rented homes in areas such as Ngong and later Muthangari. 

For a period, they also lived in Shauri Moyo, a neighbourhood that had become a quiet refuge for many Ugandan exiles navigating life away from home.

Despite Nairobi’s relative safety compared to the conflict zones across the border, fear followed them. Janet Museveni reportedly lived with the constant anxiety that their location had been compromised. 

There were moments when unfamiliar individuals appeared near their home or attempted to trace the children through schools, deepening the sense of vulnerability. 

The family avoided using their surname publicly, and the children were coached on how to respond to questions about their father.

With Museveni fighting in the bush back in Uganda, Janet took on the responsibility of providing for the family. 

She engaged in small-scale trading, traveling abroad to purchase children’s clothing that she resold in Nairobi markets. 

The income helped sustain the household but did little to ease the emotional strain of separation and uncertainty.

The situation grew more dangerous when reports emerged that opposition operatives were being tracked across borders. 

Fearing that Kenya was no longer safe, friends and humanitarian contacts helped arrange onward travel for the family to Europe, where they eventually found temporary refuge. 

Their departure marked the end of a turbulent period spent looking over their shoulders in Nairobi.

Years later, Museveni’s return to Uganda and eventual rise to power would transform the family’s fortunes. 

Yet the memories of exile—of Shauri Moyo’s cramped rooms, whispered conversations, and the constant fear of discovery—remain a stark reminder of how close the family once came to being erased from history.