Prime
Govt outlines Speaker burial details
Milly Babalanda, the minister for the presidency
What you need to know:
- Presidency minister Milly Babalanda, who is chairing the national organising committee for the state burial, also confirmed, as we had reported, that the day of Oulanyah’s interment will be a public holiday.
Jacob Oulanyah, the deceased Speaker of the 11th Parliament, is to be buried at his ancestral home in Omoro District on April 8, the government announced yesterday, confirming our reporting on the funeral programme.
Presidency minister Milly Babalanda, who is chairing the national organising committee for the state burial, also confirmed, as we had reported, that the day of Oulanyah’s interment will be a public holiday.
Oulanyah, 56, died in the United States where he was airlifted in February for specialised medical care.
In the government’s arrangement, the body is expected to arrive this Friday at 2pm and will be received at Entebbe International Airport by select state officials and family with full honours.
There is also expected to be a rendition of Bwola, a graceful Acholi traditional dance for royalty and persons with high achievements where battle exploits and tribulations are recounted.
This newspaper earlier reported that the return of the body is being coordinated by a Seattle-based funeral home, Dayspring and Fitch Funeral Home, in liaison with officials from Uganda’s embassy in Washington DC responsible for Uganda’s diplomatic and bilateral relations with the US government.
The casket containing the remains of Oulanyah will on arrival be handed over to A-plus Funeral Management, the local company that the government contracted to manage the funeral and burial of the former Speaker.
Details of the Shs2.5b budget for the burial, which this newspaper exclusively published yesterday, show that the funeral service provider will be paid Shs226m.
From March 20 when President Museveni announced the death of the Omoro County lawmaker, mourners have been filing and holding evening prayers at his home in Muyenga, a city suburb patronised by the wealthy.
According to information from the family, Oulanyah is survived by eight children and one of the sons, Andrew Ojok, is being fronted by the family and close friends to replace the father as Omoro MP.
The government has linked the death of the Speaker to cancer, contradicting earlier claims by his father, Nathan Okori, that his son was poisoned.
In her statement yesterday, minister Babalanda commended Ugandans for standing with the family of the deceased Speaker.
“Firstly, on behalf of the Government of Uganda and the family of the Late Rt. Hon. Jacob Oulanya, I wish to thank you for being patient and for expressing special love to the family. The family badly needs this solidarity to regain strength and rebuild hope,” she said, reading from a prepared text.
Oulanyah, according to clerics, was a devoted Christian and member of the Anglican faith and the official state funeral planned at Kololo Ceremonial Grounds in Kampala, where President Museveni is expected to be the chief guest, will be presided over by Church of Uganda Archbishop Samuel Kaziimba.
“A maximum number of 1,500 persons, including members of the Executive, MPs, members of the Judiciary, foreign dignitaries, heads of government ministries, departments and agencies, family members and leaders from Acholi sub-region will access the grounds,” Ms Babalanda noted.
This newspaper yesterday exclusively published the assigning of Shs2.5b for the burial of Oulanyah, with substantial expenses planned on fuel, Acholi Parliamentary Group, funeral service provider and actual burial day costing Shs1.1b.
The exposé prompted a backlash on social media against the government following revelations that, for instance, that legislators from Acholi, who like their counterparts elsewhere are fully facilitated, were to get about Shs313m for unspecified purpose, the funeral budget’s finance committee to spend nearly Shs249m, while fuel alone was budgeted at Shs124m.
Defending the budget, minister Babalanda asked Ugandans, who are already squeezed by groceries inflation, to understand that Oulanyah as Speaker of Parliament was third topmost in the hierarchy of Uganda’s governance and deserving of a “befitting burial, which anyway is legally provide for”.
The law provides that a Speaker who dies while in office shall be accorded a state funeral.
“Therefore, I would draw your attention to the burial activities planned for and agreed upon rather than to dwell on discussing the budgets,” she said.
She added: “The public is accordingly asked to stay united and calm; and to follow the security guidelines to be issued as we observe and celebrate the final journey of our dear friend and colleague.”
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Burial programme
Friday, April 1: Body arrives in Uganda aboard Ethiopian Airlines
April 3- 4: Body lies at his home in Muyenga, Kampala
Tuesday, April 5: Body lies in state at Parliament for tributes, and stays overnight.
Wednesday, April 6: State funeral at Kololo Ceremonial Grounds
Wednesday, April 6: Body airlifted to Lalogi, Omoro District
Thursday, April 7: Body lies at Lalogi for final respect by family members
Friday, April 8: Burial
