Uganda’s parliamentary speaker dies
Ugandan parliamentary speaker, Jacob L’Okori Oulanyah, has died. President Yoweri Museveni announced, adding that he delayed the news of his death to allow the family to be informed first.
“Countrymen and Countrywomen. It is with a lot of sadness that I announce the death of the Rt. Hon. Jacob Oulanyah, the Speaker of Parliament. I got information of this sad news at 10.30 am, East African time, from people that have been with him and the doctor that was caring for him in the intensive care unit. He was a good Cadre. I delayed the announcement so that his children would be informed first,” he said on a Twitter post, as quoted by the Daily Monitor Uganda.
Mr Oulanyah was flown out of Uganda last month for further treatment in Seattle, USA. His journey which was reported to have cost $500,000 stirred fierce criticism among the Ugandans living in the diaspora as the majority of them considered it a channel to wastage of public funds. However, political leaders from the Acholi community, where Oulanyah comes from defended the trip accusing their compatriots in the diaspora of lacking sense. He was elected as a speaker in May last year.
