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Jacob Oulanyah

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The Right Honourable
Jacob Oulanyah
Oulanyah in 2018
Speaker of the Parliament of Uganda
In office
24 May 2021 – 20 March 2022
PresidentYoweri Museveni
Preceded byRebecca Kadaga
Succeeded byAnita Among
Personal details
Born
Jacob L'Okori Oulanyah

(1965-03-23)23 March 1965
Gulu, Uganda
Died20 March 2022(2022-03-20) (aged 56)[1]
Seattle, Washington, U.S.
Alma materMakerere University
(Bachelor of Arts)
(Bachelor of Laws)
Law Development Centre
(Diploma in Legal Practice)
OccupationLawyer/Politician
Known forPolitics

Jacob L'Okori Oulanyah (23 March 1965 – 20 March 2022) was a Ugandan agricultural economist, lawyer, and politician, who served as the Speaker of the 11th Parliament of Uganda since 2021 until 2022. He was elected to that position on 24 May 2021, after defeating his tenacious rival the then incumbent Speaker Rebecca Alitwala Kadaga.[2] He served as Deputy Speaker of the Ugandan parliament, from May 2011 until May 2021.[3] Oulanyah was also the member of parliament representing the Omoro County constituency, Omoro District, Acholi sub-region, in the Uganda's Northern Region.[4]

Background and education

Oulanyah was born in the then Gulu District, on 23 March 1965 to Nathan L'okori and Karen Atwon.[5] 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.[3]

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.[3] In 2001, he entered mainstream politics by successfully contesting 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.[3] 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.[3]

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.[3] 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 24 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.[6]

Parliamentary duties

Oulanyah was the national speaker of parliament sitting on the following parliamentary committees:

  • Appointments Committee – The Committee reviews all Cabinet appointments by the President and may approve or reject an appointment: The Deputy Speaker is the vice chairperson of that committee.[7]

Illness and death

Shortly after his election as Speaker, Oulanyah went to the United Kingdom for over a month. There were reports that he had contracted COVID-19, and flown to the UK for treatment. Officially, however, he was stated to have been visiting one of his children.[8]

Subsequently, most of Oulanyah's duties were handled by Deputy Speaker Anita Among, fuelling further speculation about Oulanyah's health. He last presided over Parliament on 21 December 2021. On 4 February 2022, he was flown via Iceland to Seattle, in the United States, for treatment of an unspecified illness.[9] An Airbus A330-800 was chartered from Uganda Airlines for the purpose, at a cost to the Ugandan taxpayer of USh 1.7 billion (US$460,000, €390,000).[10]

It later emerged that Among had checked on Oulanyah at his home on 29 January after she and other associates of his had been unable to contact him by telephone for three days. She found him in bed, having difficulty speaking; he had not eaten in the previous three days. He was taken to Mulago National Referral Hospital, where his doctors recommended that he be flown out of Uganda for treatment.[11] On 15 March, Among, Democratic Party President Norbert Mao – longtime friend and associate of Oulanyah, and three others flew to Seattle to check on Oulanyah.[12] Around this time, the Wikipedia article of Oulanyah was changed to indicate that he had died. Chris Obore, director communication and public affairs for the Ugandan Parliament, subsequently claimed on Twitter that "hackers" using a virtual private network had altered the article.[13]

Oulanyah died on 20 March 2022, in Seattle. His death was announced by Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, on Museveni's Twitter account.[1][14] His father Nathan L'okori subsequently claimed that Oulanyah "did not die of natural causes, he was poisoned". According to him, the speaker had told him of the poisoning following his appointment. Information minister Chris Baryomunsi denied this allegation, requesting the public to "ignore" it.[15]

References

  1. ^ a b Ruby, Josh (20 March 2022). "Speaker of Parliament Jacob Oulanyah Pronounced Dead!". MBU. Retrieved 20 March 2022.
  2. ^ Job Bwire (24 May 2021). "Jacob Oulanyah voted Speaker of 11th Parliament". Daily Monitor. Kampala. Retrieved 24 May 2021.
  3. ^ a b c d e f Vision Reporter (19 May 2016). "Kadaga Speaker, Oulanyah Deputy". New Vision. Kampala. Retrieved 21 September 2017.
  4. ^ Ocungi, Julius (19 February 2016). "Speaker Oulanyah declared winner of Omoro county, opposition order vote recount". Daily Monitor. Kampala. Retrieved 21 September 2017.
  5. ^ "Will Jacob Oulanyah's attributes charm the Opposition?". New Vision. Retrieved 27 May 2021.
  6. ^ "Jacob Oulanyah voted Speaker of 11th Parliament". Daily Monitor. 24 May 2021. Retrieved 12 June 2021.
  7. ^ Odongtho, Charles (13 June 2011). "Oulanyah Defends Appointments Committee". Kampala: Uganda Radio Network. Retrieved 21 September 2017.
  8. ^ "Speaker Oulanyah back at parliament". The Independent. 29 July 2021. Retrieved 20 March 2022.
  9. ^ "Speaker Oulanyah in Seattle for treatment". The Independent. 6 February 2022. Retrieved 20 March 2022.
  10. ^ "'Uganda Airlines received Sh1.7 billion for Oulanyah evacuation'". The Independent. 7 February 2022. Retrieved 20 March 2022.
  11. ^ "How unanswered phone calls tipped off Oulanyah's deputy, friends about his illness". The Independent. 13 February 2022. Retrieved 20 March 2022.
  12. ^ "MAO: Deputy Speaker ready to update on Oulanyah". The Independent. 18 March 2022. Retrieved 20 March 2022.
  13. ^ "'Hackers' edit Speaker Oulanyah's Wikipedia profile- Chris Obore". Daily Monitor. 16 March 2022. Retrieved 27 March 2022.
  14. ^ "Breaking News:Speaker of Ugandan parliament Jacob Oulanyah is dead". Alvin Alexa. Retrieved 20 March 2022.
  15. ^ "Uganda's speaker Oulanyah was reportedly poisoned, claims father". The Citizen. 21 March 2022. Retrieved 27 March 2022.
Preceded by Speaker of Parliament
2021 – 2022 		Succeeded by
Vacant
Preceded by Deputy Speaker of Parliament
2011 – 2021 		Succeeded by


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