By Kabuye Ronald
Uganda’s president Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has eulogized the late. Speaker of parliament Jacob Oulanyah for breaking away from sectarian politics of opposition and making a good contribution to the country.
Speaking to mourners at a state funeral service for Oulanyah at Kololo Independence Grounds, president Museveni revealed that as early as 1966, there were problems of divisions in the country and specifically in Northern Uganda which many governments failed to solve but this was possible with the involvement of the late speaker Jacob Oulanyah.
Museveni said Oulanyah who was a good cadre had multiplied his talents and thus Losing him was a big loss because he was coming up and the country was going to benefit from him.
He said NRM started dealing with the late Oulanyah when he was the chairperson of the Parliamentary legal committee although he was still in UPC, but they had already noticed him and saw that he had potential.
The president also warned against tribalism that had started to manifest itself following Oulanyah’s death.
“I don’t want to hear talk of northern. He was not speaker of north but Uganda. When you hear opportunists talking of northern Uganda, tell them to shut up. NRM supported him not because he was this or that but because was good cadre. He would never have won if NRM didn’t support him. Ugandans supported him because of his patriotism and pan Africanism and not because of his clan.”
President Museveni further assured the family of the late Speaker of Parliament, Rt. Hon Jacob Oulanyah, that government will support them.
Earlier, the Speaker of Parliament, Rt. Hon. Anita Annet Among informed the President that during a special session to honour the works of the late Speaker, Parliament resolved to contribute 554 million shillings to the Oulanyah Education Fund and designated March 24 of every year to have a Jacob Oulanyah Memorial Lecture.
The Chief Justice of Uganda Alfonse Owiny-Dollo appealed to Ugandans to disclose to the right people whenever they fall sick so that they are helped where possible.
“If my brother had been more open with his malady, maybe, maybe, we would not be gathered here today. It is very human to be sick. Once we know we have these ailments, the right thing to do is submit ourselves to the people who treat us,” he said.
The Minister for the Presidency also the chairperson of the burial committee, Hon. Milly Babalanda, urged the new Speaker, Rt. Hon. Among, to uphold the legacy which Oulanyah left. Babalanda said that when Oulanyah crossed from UPC to NRM, he did not look behind and did it with one heart.
