HE IS NO MORE: Speaker Oulanyah with his deputy Anita Among. He died today morning!
NEWS EDITOR MEDIA
IT’S a black Sunday in Uganda! Less than a year at the 6th floor of Parliament, Rt. Hon. Speaker of Parliament of Uganda Jacob Oulanyah is no more! It’s hard to believe!
Today afternoon, on her return from Seattle, America from where her boss breathed his last, Deputy Speaker Annet Anita Among has written about how they did everything humanly to save the life of Speaker Oulanyah but all was in vain! She has mentioned twenty things she will never forget about the fallen Speaker of Parliament.
Bellow is Deputy Speaker Anita Among’s full statement as she announces Oulanyah’s death;
My Fellow Ugandans, our dear brother, friend and Leader the Rt Hon. Jacob Oulanyah has left us! He passed on this morning in Seattle, WA, the USA where he was receiving treatment.
As a person and the Parliament family, we loved and cherished Jacob dearly, he stood tall as a gentle giant, a principled man, a man of his word and an accomplished lawyer and legislator. His loud laughters, cheeky winks and sense of humour lit up our hearts even in the difficult times.
During his tenure as both Speaker and Deputy Speaker, he taught us tolerance, honesty, adherence to the rules and all that it takes to be a good speaker. Jacob appreciated the value of team work, and held us as the Parliament family together.
We looked foward to many years of working together in the service of our Country and the people of Uganda.
My brother Jacob was a strict time keeper and a God fearing man ,that is why the 11th Parliament has premised its activities on the guidance of the almighty.
We did everything humanly possible to ensure our brother gets back to his feet, we prayed too that he would come back to us alive! But that wasn’t to be. God had other plans for my brother our brother! We loved him, but the Lord almighty loved him more!
My sincere sympathies to the family of my brother Jacob, His Excellency the President, the Members and Staff of Parliament, the people of Omoro County and the Country at large upon this tragic loss.
Parliament will never be the same without you, i will dearly miss you , the light moments, the unique moments we jointly chaired the proceedings of the House – setting precedents that had never been and all that you were to me and the Parliament of Uganda.
May the heavens receive you in Glory my dear twin brother and leader. May you Rest in Eternity .
A BRIEF PROFILE OF THE LATE JACOB OULANYAH
Jacob Oulanya was born in the then Gulu District, on 23 March 1965 to Nathan L’okori and Karen Atwon.
He attended St. Joseph’s College Layibi, Dr. Obote College Boroboro, and Kololo Senior Secondary School for his O-Level and A-Level education.
In 1988, he joined Makerere University, the oldest university in the East African Community, where he studied agricultural economics. He graduated in 1991 with a Bachelor of Arts in that subject.
That same year, he entered law school, also at Makerere University, graduating in 1994 with a Bachelor of Laws degree. He served as speaker of the university students’ guild during his stay at Makerere. In 1995, he attended the Law Development Centre (LDC), where he obtained a postgraduate diploma in legal practice.
CAREER
Following his graduation from the LDC, Oulanyah worked as a lecturer at the centre. During the same timeframe, he began private law practice at the law firm of Oulanyah, Onoria & Company Advocates.
In 2001, he entered politics by successfully contesting for the parliamentary seat of Omoro County, in the then Gulu District under the no-party system also known as the Movement Political System. He was however a cardholder of the Uganda People’s Congress (UPC).
He also participated in the peace talks between the government of Uganda and the Lord’s Resistance Army rebels.
In 2006, standing as a UPC candidate, he lost his re-election bid. In July 2006, he quit the UPC and joined the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM).
In 2008, he served as the chairman of the commission of inquiry into the controversial sub-lease of Kisekka Market, one of the municipal markets in the city of Kampala.
In March 2011, Oulanyah was elected to represent Omoro County then in Gulu District, in the Ninth Parliament, this time on the NRM ticket. He was elected as Deputy Speaker of Parliament on 19 May 2011.
Following the February 2016 general election, Oulanyah was re-elected as Deputy Speaker of Parliament on 19 May 2016. In the vote, conducted by secret ballot, he received 300 votes, while Muhammad Nsereko received 115.
On 13 July 2019, Oulanyah was awarded an honorary Doctorate of Divinity by Zoe Life Theological College USA and acquired the title, Doctor enabling him to be called Rt. Hon. Dr. Jacob L. Oulanyah
On 24th May 2021, Jacob Oulanyah was voted Speaker of Parliament in a race against his former boss, Rt. Hon. Rebecca Kadaga and Kira Municipality MP, Ibrahim Ssemujju. Jacob obtained 310 votes against Kadaga’s 197 and Ssemujju’s 15.
Here at NEWS EDITOR MEDIA, we extend our heartfelt condolences to the President of Uganda, Chief justice, Deputy Speaker, relatives and friends upon the death of this great statesman Jacob Oulanyah! May his soul rest in eternal peace!
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