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Ex-Soroti district boss passes on
Former Soroti District chairperson Robert Engulu PHOTO BY RICHARD OTIM
What you need to know:
Robert Engulu, 61, passed away at Mulago Hospital on Sunday after a long illness.
SOROTI
Former Soroti District chairperson Robert Engulu is dead. Engulu, 61, who was district chairperson from 1993 to 1997, passed away on Sunday morning at Mulago Hospital, where he had been on medication for a long illness. His predecessor, Mr Francis Okuluma, said the former member of the NRM, served in Soroti for four years and when Kaberamaido District was carved out of it in 2001, he became its first elected district chairperson.
He later crossed to the opposition Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) until his death.
“The late Engulu was once a strong member of NRM. He was the chairperson for Kaberamaido until last year and attempted to stand again but failed,” Mr Okuluma said.
Serere Member of Parliament Stephen Ochola said it was because of corruption in the ruling NRM party that Engulu left and joined the FDC. “He was a straightforward person who always advised us and consulted us in times of need,” Mr Ochola said. He said Engulu was a good leader because he never considered himself to have a monopoly of leadership experience.
The Soroti District council on Monday paid him tribute with speaker after speaker describing Engulu as a leader who died without amassing any ill-gotten wealth.
Corruption-free
“Engulu has been a simple leader. He has died without stains of corruption,” the district chairperson, Mr Charles Elasu, said. The speaker, Mr Andrew Odongo, said Teso region had lost an important figure in terms of development. “He has been instrumental in forging development for Teso. We shall miss him,” he said.
