Faces behind Oulanyah’s burial
L-R: Photo combo of Anita Among, Anthony Akol and Milly Babalanda. PHOTOS/ FILE
What you need to know:
The former Speaker of Parliament Jacob Oulanyah will be laid to rest on Friday next week according to Minister for Presidency Milly Babalanda.
Milly Babalanda
She is the minister for Presidency and was appointed by the President last week as the chairperson of the national organising committee for Oulanyah’s burial. The committee is fully in charge of the burial process and has since generated a whopping budget of Shs2.5b.
However the Minister of Finance in-charge of General Duties, Mr Henry Musasizi, told Members of Parliament (MPs) on Tuesday that the budget had been revised and brought down to Shs1.8b, saying that other unnecessary expenditures had been scrapped.
Ms Babalanda on Tuesday announced that the late Speaker’s body will arrive at Entebbe Airport aboard Ethiopian Airlines and will later be handed to A-plus funeral management.
The committee also has several other ministers and legislators.
Hilary Onek
He is the minister for Relief, Disaster Preparedness and Refugees and also the Member of Parliament for Lamwo County in Lamwo District.
He is the Acholi Parliamentary Group representative to the national organising committee for the burial of former Speaker Jacob Oulanyah.
He is working with ministers from the Acholi sub-region to engage with the cultural and political leaders in Acholi for their input in the burial arrangements.
L-R: Peter Douglas Okello, Henry Oryem Okello, Hilary Onek and Jim Muhwezi
Anita Among
The Parliament led by Speaker Anita Among will be fully in-charge of managing mourners at both homes of the deceased in Muyenga in Kampala and at the ancestral home in Omoro District where he will be buried.
Parliament will also identify service providers for all the burial arrangements. It will also be responsible for the celebration of the deceased’s life at Parliament
Anthony Akol
Mr Akol is the Member of Parliament representing Kilak North constituency. He was elected as the chairperson of the Acholi Parliamentary Group in July 2021 for a tenure of two-and-a half years.
He is currently the lead coordinator of the group tasked to ensure that the late Speaker gets a decent sendoff.
This newspaper on Tuesday reported that the group will be given at least Shs312.9m to facilitate the burial process. However, the legislator clarified that the money allocated to the group is to help them coordinate teams of their constituents to attend the burial, facilitation of the cultural dance groups, regional reception in Gulu, and upgrading of the road leading to the burial grounds.
He said their interest is to see their fallen colleague get a befitting sendoff. He asked people to desist from politicising the late Oulanyah’s burial.
Archbishop Stephen Kaziimba Mugalu
The Archbishop of the Church of Uganda will be the main celebrant during a state funeral at Kololo Independence Grounds on April 6, according to Minister Babalanda. The minister also revealed that only 1,500 people including the Executive, MPs, Judiciary, and family members, among others will be allowed to access the grounds. President Museveni is expected to preside over the event.
Jim Muhwezi
He is the minister for Security. Mr Muhwezi told Monitor yesterday that police will be deployed to control crowds and traffic. The minister noted that the country is secure and that security will be beefed up because it is a state function. He said in case police needs back up then it will be worked on internally to ensure that the security issue is addressed.
Adolf Mwesige and Archbishop Stephen Kaziimba Mugalu
Adolf Mwesige
He is the clerk to Parliament and will oversee all the expenditures regarding all the parliamentary activities about the burial of the late Oulanyah. The clerk is the head of the parliamentary service and is responsible to the Speaker for the general working and efficient conduct of the business of the service.
Peter Douglas Okello
He is the Omoro District chairperson and also the chairperson of the local organising committee for the burial. He is coordinating with all family members, MPs from Acholi and the government to ensure that the former Speaker gets a decent burial. He told Daily Monitor on Tuesday that the family had already mapped a spot where the grave will be hollowed.
Henry Oryem Okello
He is the minister of State for Foreign Affairs. He will oversee the repatriation of the late Jacob Oulanyah’s remains back to the country today. The body is expected to reach Entebbe International Airport today by 2pm aboard Ethiopian Airlines.
Although there is a sub-committee on finance, this publication couldn’t establish the exact people heading it.
When contacted yesterday, the State minister for Finance Planning and Economic Development (General Duties) Henry Musasizi referred our inquiries to Minister Babalanda. Ms Babalanda couldn’t be reached for a comment and so were the other members on the national organising committee.
