Richard Todwong, Secretary General at National Resistance Movement
The Inter Party Organisation for Dialogue (IPOD) has warned Ugandans against tarnishing the good legacy built by deceased Speaker Jacob Oulanyah and instead all efforts should be put towards commending him for the services he rendered to the country.
The call was made by Richard Todwong, Secretary General at National Resistance Movement (NRM) where he had led the IPOD team to pay respect and mourn Oulanyah.
While speaking to the media, Todwong called on Ugandans to continue building on the projects Oulanyah had started especially efforts towards building synergies and ensuring cohesion among all Ugandans.
“We call upon members of the public to mourn with decency and give him the maximum respect that he deserves in death just like he deserved in life,” Todwong said, adding: “We call upon people who are paying tribute to him to be mindful of his family that he has left behind. To be mindful of his legacy, we don’t want anything that will tarnish his image or affect his family.”
His remarks come at the time the public has been thrown into an uproar after reports emerged that Government is slated to spend Shs2.5Bn as burial expenses for the fallen Speaker.
However, Minister for Presidency Milly Babalanda Babalanda has responded to the public uproar and urged the public to desist from dwelling on discussing the budget that is going to be used to bury the late, as he was an important person for the country who deserves to have befitting burial.
“Members of the public need to know that the former Speaker was third in hierarchy in the country’s leadership and he deserved such a befitting burial,” said Babalanda.
Minister Babalanda has given an update on the burial arrangements of Oulanyah indicating that the body is expected in the country on Friday 3rd April via the Ethiopian Airlines and will be received with full honors of the country.
According to Babalanda a few leaders and family members will be allowed at the Entebbe International Airport to receive Oulanyah’s body that will be handed over to A Plus funeral management who will be in charge of the funeral.
Oulanyah’s body will later on be taken to his home in Muyenga to allow the public pay respect to the former Speaker. Parliament will hold a special sitting on Tuesday 5th March 2022 for MPs to pay their respect and the body is expected to lie in state overnight.
The casket will be transported to Kololo Independence Ceremonial Grounds for a state funeral where the president will lead the country in paying tribute to the late with the archbishop of Church of Uganda His Grace Dr. Kazimba Mugalu expected to be the main celebrant.
Babalanda further added that the casket of the late will leave Kololo at 3:00pm after the ceremony and will be airlifted to Lalogi village in Omoro district for a night vigil and members of the public will on Thursday be allowed to pay their respects.
The late speaker will then be laid to rest on Friday 8th April 2022 and the day has been declared a public holiday.
