By Gilbert M Karengye
OPINION
I have been closely following the whole story right from the day when the late speaker of parliament Jacob Oulanya was rumored ill including members of parliament who were beating around the bush regarding the whereabouts of their speaker after being elected the speaker of parliament until he was flown to USA for treatment. After the official declaration of the demise of Oulanya by the president of Uganda, his father Nathan Okori openly told the public what he had previously shared with his son Oulanya who appeared confirming to Ugandans that his own son told him that poison was killing him. Mzee Nathan Okori went ahead to explain that his son told him of a businessman and a woman based in Kampala but hailing from Omoro had poisoned his son.
He also publicly said that the poison could not be stopped from killing his son because doctors struggled enough in vein until he was taken to Seattle USA to seek further treatment which was already impossible. According to me, the poison had done multi organ effects thus making Oulanyas life irreparable thus leading to his death.
The government through the minister of health was very fast to issue out a report as pressurized by members of parliament which report was talking multi organ failure emanating from cancer which affected human body organs including heart, kidney, spleen, intestines, liver etcetera. I independently have a belief that even strong poison can attack all the body organs at once though it may take longer time to kill someone depending on the type of poison that has been transfused or digested in the body. I tend to think that health experts or scientists have the same belief in case they studied about poisons and how they behave in different environments. Simple reasoning can lead to this conclusion also.
Putting this aside, Late Jacob Oulanya is someone whose character was not about attracting attention like how many of the politicians usually do. Therefore as a strong cadre of NRM after leaving opposition, he was a good and principled man towards what he saw as a peaceful measure of handling issues according to how many politicians talked about him during the funeral functions that were held in Kampala and Omoro district.
I do not think he was simply to create enmity by disclosing to his father what he was suffering from or passing through. We all know the strong attachments we have with our parents to the extent that even when one is assured of dying tomorrow, one has to disclose it to his/her parents.
Getting back to the first paragraph of this letter, Ugandan leaders seem to have ignored the issue of the two people whom the father of Late Oulanya was talking about as if it is none of their businesses. I am happy that some people especially Hon Godfrey Kiwanda, Gilbert Oulanya and others were concerned about the way Oulanya died because those who picked concern would lead to a good point of approaching Mzee Okori to know who exactly these two people alleged to have poisoned his son are by their names so that reconciliatory approaches are applied before things go beyond control.
Everyone now is paying attention to Lubowa Hospital, African Army warm, cattle rustling in Karamoja, Gen Muhoozi Keinerugabas birthday, age detecting machine, the vacant Omoro parliamentary seat and other diversionary news. It looks like everyone was praying for quick process of sending off Late Oulanya and abandons other matters to the next concerns.
Surprisingly, police started threatening those who picked concern about the health of the late Oulanya instead of quietly finding out the man and woman that Mzee Okori was pointing out with the aim of reconciling them with the family of the late. In fact, with Mzee Okori’s assertions, a professional police or any other government agency would sit back and ask a question of what should we do? Hastiness is not good at all and it is problematic. Everyone can recall how police exchanged bitterness with Hon Minister Baryomunsi Chris over Poison claims.
However, the president of Uganda shoulders a great task of not leaving the poison issue hanging because it will leave some people sitting on a time bomb only if he doesnt understand the pain that a person carries psychologically and socially once he or she loses a child especially when one has information that it is not a natural death. Acts of revenge may not happen on the accused or suspected persons directly but we may see clans, tribes, families etc attacking one another like we have been witnessing occasionally in this world.
This matter needs to be handled professionally regardless of the reactions I saw police attempting to apply which would expand the wounds on the hearts of the family members of Oulanya. I am very sure even friends of the late Oulanya could be having a clue on the poison claim but cannot mention anything other than pretending but if talked to properly, can help Ugandans regain trust in the regime.
A part from the projected revenge of the lates family, I have already heard from members of parliament and many leaders from different arena, saying they now fear even sharing microphones, sharing greetings by shaking hands, eating served in public or social gathering because it sounds like every leader in Uganda now a target of poison.
The president needs to either personally visit Mzee Nathan Okori in Omoro district or invite him and some other family members to his home Rwakitura or State House and discuss this matter at length with the major mission of taming the anger that the family of Late Oulanya could be carrying. The president needs to in the same way meet find out by names the persons whom Late Oulanya mentioned to his father before his death with the aim of framing means of bridging the gap between the two sides to prevent other troubles. I believe it is a very simple task to know these persons since it is known that one of them was at one point pivotal in the political gymnastics of late Oulanya. Of course I cannot independently confirm the issue of poison in the life of late Oulanya because whether it is poison or not, it is still the doctors who are aware of what terminated the life of our Speaker, the late Jacob Oulanya.
I extend my words of comfort to the family of Mzee Nathan Okori and the relatives for the loss of their son. I again wish Andrew Ojok the son of Late Oulanya and the people of Omoro county the best and peaceful campaigns they look forward to electing a new member of parliament to represent them in the next three years of the current five year term.
May the Soul of Late Jacob Lokori Oulanya rest in eternal peace.
Hon Mugisha Gilbert Karengye
the writer is former parliamentary contestant, Ibanda North constituency, Ibanda District
