Rifts emerge over Oulanyah burial
The State Minister for the presidency, Milly Babirye Babalanda says burial arrangements for the former speaker of Parliament Jacob Oulanyah will be announced on Tuesday this week.
Babalanda revealed in her official communication via twitter ;
“Fellow Ugandans, thank you for remaining united during this trying time,On Tuesday March 29,2022, I will release the final burial programme for the former Speaker of Parliament Emeritus Rt Hon Jacob Oulanyah.” She says
The body is expected to be flown into the country by Ethiopian Airlines on Friday, this week.
According to the Clerk to Parliament Adolf Mwesigye, following the arrival of the deceased’s body this week, a motion will be moved in Parliament to pay tribute.
Mwesigye says several ceremonies both administrative and cultural will prevail lasting up to five days from the deceased’s arrival.
Meanwhile reports reveal that there is a rift between section of leaders from the Acholi and Lango sub-regions over the style of burial to offer the fallen Speaker.
According to the Sunday Monitor Members of Parliament from the Acholi Sub-region want Oulanyah to be buried following the rituals of Acholi tradition. This they hope will establish allegations that he was poisoned.
Rifts emerge over Oulanyah burial
Traditionally, the Acholi people perform several rituals while burying a person whose death is believed not to be of natural causes. For instance, such a person is buried with the head turned outside of the home to imply that they should get out there and seek their revenge. In particular cases, the body of the deceased must not spend the night in the house.
“Under our (Acholi) tradition when a person is suspected to have been killed, there is the way they are buried. The chiefs will guide,” Says Santa Okot, the Aruu North legislator,
Last week, Dr Opiyo Oloya a close cousin to the deceased revealed to mourners in Muyenga, Kampala, that Oulanyah died from natural causes. However, Nathan Okori, Oulanyah’s father, has insisted that his was “poisoned.”
“His death is not easy news to welcome because I know he did not die of natural causes; he was poisoned,” Okori told a handful of mourners at their ancestral home in Omoro District.
