As government struggles to silence age limit bill critics, Ugandans on social media are having a field day, each trying to figure out how old President Yoweri Museveni is.
The new controversy was stirred by Museveni’s celebration of 70 years since he was baptized, prompting people to start speculating what his age could be.
State house on Sunday issued a statement indicating that the president and his family spent the day at St Luke Kinoni Church of Uganda, to commemorate 70 years since he was baptized.
Speaking at the end of the church service, President Museveni informed the congregation that the reason he was interested in commemorating this day was so that he would share his history, especially with the youth.
“My mother was the pioneer in joining the church, at time when our family was predominantly aligned to traditional beliefs. By this act of Baptism, my mother and father were pioneering in Christianity, as we were leaving traditional religion," he said.
President Museveni was baptised at St Luke Kinoni Church of Uganda, Rwampara , Mbarara District, on August 3, 1947.
He was baptised by the late Rev Eric Sabiti who was later to become the first archbishop of Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi and Boga Zaire.
"Secondly, I have come to re-energise and emphasise the fact that the Church and other religious institutions build a person's character. Religious instruction enables you to navigate through life. To know what is evil and what is right, what is good and what is bad.
Societies that have abandoned religion, have not fared well," he added.
Mr Museveni called upon the youth to take religion seriously. He reiterated that the foundation he got from church "at and after baptism has played a big role in what I have been able to do later in life, including being President." He thanked God for enabling him live long to celebrate 70 years of baptism.
Social media users have since asked to be told how old the president was, at Baptism. Many say he could have been a teenager, considering church has no fixed age for baptism.
Many now believe the President’s claim of being born in 1944 is a lie, and that he is using this to by-pass the age limit issue, which has become an everyday talk.
