Kampala– Parliament on Tuesday held a special sitting to honour the former Speaker late Rt. Hon Jacob Oulanyah who died on March 20, 2022 in Seattle, USA.
The motion to honour the former Speaker was moved by the Vice President, Jessica Alupo who said the late was a dedicated Speaker who served his country and Parliament with devotion and enthusiasm.
“His leadership greatly contributed to strengthening of adherence to the rule of law, Parliamentary practice, political tolerance, the spirit of humanity “Ubuntu” and encouraged cohesion amongst different shades of opinion.” Said Alupo
The motion to pay tribute to late Oulanyah was seconded by the Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja and the Leader of Opposition in Parliament Mathias Mpuuga.
Mpuuga eulogized the late as the “encyclopedia of parliamentary procedure” who has died at a time when many Parliamentarians needed his guidance to master the ways of parliament.
The former Speaker of Parliament and current 1st deputy Prime Minister Rebecca Alitwala Kadaga who was one of the several MPs that attended the special sitting to honour late Oulanyah says that she had a good working relationship with the late for the 10years they worked together.
Kadaga urged the house to prioritize passing the bills that the late was pushing for.
The Minister for General Duties Justine Kasule Lumumba, who was described as Oulanyah’s ‘special friend’ eulogized the former Speaker as a critical thinker.
“We are celebrating a life lived with flavour, purpose, clarity and humility. The country has lost a critical thinker.” Said Lumumba
The Minister of State for Industry, David Bahati has mourned Oulanyah as an effective and courageous speaker who “instilled in us discipline of time management, virtue of patience and respect and mentored many to become better legislators.”
Bukanga North MP Nathan Byanyima said “Oulanyah taught me never to cross from one sectoral committee to another because tomorrow you can be an expert in that committee. Oulanyah was in only two committees; legal and parliamentary and rules committee and he excelled.”
The Speaker of Parliament Anitah Among requested all those persons whom her predecessor could have hurt to forgive him noting that on his (Oulanyah’s) part he forgave everyone that hurt him.
She added, “the Bible says we shall be known by the works of our hands and indeed Jacob was there for everyone when they needed him; that is why the entire nation is mourning this gallant son of Uganda
Meanwhile, the Minister of Health, Dr. Jane Ruth Aceng has revealed that the immediate cause of death of the former Speaker Jacob L’Okori Oulanyah, was multiple organ failure.
The Minister made this revelation while presenting a report on Oulanyah’s health at the special sitting of the House to honour the former speaker on Tuesday.
“The heart, lungs, liver and kidney all failed. The liver started failing while he was in Uganda and the lungs had started collecting fluids,” she said.
Aceng said that Oulanyah was diagnosed with cancer in 2019.
“He discovered a swelling on the neck, he took it upon himself to seek medical attention in Germany, where the swelling was removed and analyzed and he was told that it was cancer, she said adding that, ’he was started on treatment which he finished at the Uganda Cancer Institute’.
She added that he subsequently visited other hospitals over the same but due to the challenges during the lockdown and during elections, he was not able to be treated in hospital.
“On 23 January 2022, he was admitted to Mulago for two weeks and during that time, he was being prepared to travel to get gene therapy treatment known as the CAR T- Cell which did not require more chemotherapy which had already supressed the bone marrow,” she said.
Aceng added that tests were carried out, biopsy tissues recalled for further analysis and the bone marrow analysed.
The Minister in her report added that Oulanyah also developed multiple bacterial and viral infections.
“The treatment of the viral infections continued to suppress the bone marrow, which lead to its total suppression,” she said.
There were also contributory conditions which included a lymphatic system depletion.
Aceng also revealed that while in Makerere, Oulanyah lost his spleen following a student strike there. She said that these manufactures both the red and white blood cells.
“He started having gastritis bleeding into the abdomen because of the lack of platelets and we couldn’t stop the bleeding. He also had drug resistant bacteria, which is usually hospital acquired when you stay long in the hospital,” she added.
Oulanyah will be buried on Friday 08 April, 2022 at his ancestral home in Lalogi, Omoro district.
