Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni has returned to normal duties after recovering from COVID-19.

In a statement on Monday, June 19, 2023, Museveni said he had been given a clean bill of health by his doctors, prompting him to resume physical meetings.

“With a confirmed clean bill of health, I am now able to get back to physical meetings, starting with cabinet this afternoon,” Museveni said.

On Sunday, he declared on Twitter that he had tested negative after an 11-day battle with COVID-19.

“On the war with corona (COVID-19), it is now confirmed that I am a veteran graduate of the war with that enemy,” he said.

Monday’s post was accompanied by footage of him greeting staff at State House in the city of Entebbe where he chaired a cabinet meeting.

The 78-year-old announced on June 8 that he had tested positive for COVID-19 after experiencing “some mild flu-like symptoms”.

He said he decided to self-isolate and delegate his duties to Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja after experiencing the symptoms.

Museveni last week pulled out of a high-level trip by African delegates to Ukraine and Russia to try to broker an end to the conflict, but he did address Uganda’s parliament remotely during the presentation of the country’s budget.

Museveni abandons masks

Museveni said he has been “very cautious with corona” but recently had to give up on facemasks because they were causing him allergic reactions in the eyes and the throat. 

“Do you remember when I lost my voice twice during the elections? That is part of the allergy. I have, therefore, got the second forced leave in the last 53 years, ever since 1971, when we started fighting Idi Amin. One other time, was when I had a problem of sinuses and I had to lie low for some days at Mweya,” he tweeted Thursday.

According to the latest World Health Organization figures, Uganda has registered 170,775 COVID-19 cases and 3,632 deaths since the start of the pandemic.