Prime
Okot rebuked for Oulanyah spousal support allegations
Ms Okot, Ms Amoo’s mother, told journalists that Oulanyah deliberately declined to support his two daughters, who have since 2013 been living with his ex-wife in the US. Photo | File
What you need to know:
- Former Leader of the Opposition in Parliament, Ms Betty Aol (Gulu City Woman), described Ms Akot’s comments as regrettable, questioning their timing.
Members of Parliament under the Acholi Parliamentary Group (APG) have described as reckless and inhumane a statement in which Aruu North MP Santa Okot attacked the fallen Speaker of Parliament for allegedly failing to take care of his children upon divorcing his wife in 2016.
Jacob Oulanyah tied the knot with Ms Winnie Amoo Okot at Munyonyo in Kampala in January 2013, during a ceremony which was presided over by former Church of Uganda Archbishop Stanley Ntagali.
On Thursday, Ms Okot, Ms Amoo’s mother, told journalists that Oulanyah deliberately declined to support his two daughters, who have since 2013 been living with his ex-wife in the US.
“I know when somebody has died, people speak only the good parts…they don’t want to speak the bad parts. He did not support or assist the two children. They are with my daughter in the US. We are the ones who are caring for the two girls without any complaints,” Ms Okot said.
The MP also alleged that Oulanyah confiscated the private properties of her daughter upon their divorce.
Ms Okot, nevertheless, said the option of her granddaughters attending their father’s funeral is not entirely off the table.
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“The children will always remain that (sic) of Oulanyah and we request that my daughter sends the children. Next week, I will fly there to go and pick the children and bring them so that they see that indeed their father has died,” she offered.
Ms Akot’s statement has roundly been condemned by her fellow legislators from the sub-region.
Former Leader of the Opposition in Parliament, Ms Betty Aol (Gulu City Woman), described Ms Akot’s comments as regrettable, questioning their timing.
“This is not the time to give testimony about his weaknesses but to refresh ourselves and minds about some of the great achievements he has made. It is sad and unfortunate, if she really said that. The time is not now. People are mourning and the entire Acholi Sub-region is mourning,” Ms Aol said.
Mr John Amos Okot—the APG secretary-general—said Ms Okot needed to have found better avenues of raising the matter instead of going to the press.
“She is the deceased’s mother-in-law and she could have genuine reasons…but she needed to have raised them later after Oulanyah’s remains have been laid to rest,” he reasoned.
Background
In October 2016, the High Court Family Division dissolved the marriage of Oulanyah and Ms Amoo. The two agreed before Justice Alexandria Rugardya Nkonge that their three-year-old marriage was irredeemable. Ms Amoo got custody of their two children. Oulanyah was instructed to pay a monthly maintenance fee of $690 (about Shs2.5m) for the children.
