Tororo’s veteran politician who went on to become third Deputy Prime Minister and Ambassador Paul Etyang is dead. He was 82 . Etyanga died of Covid -19 today at International Hospital Kampala (IHK) where he had been admitted since December 28, 2020.
The deceased senior political leader was father to flight captain Michael Etyang who recently flew in Uganda’s maiden Airbus A330-800 neo, landing at Entebbe International Airport from Paris, France on December 22, 2020.
Etyang also served as Minister of Information in the early days of the NRA/NRM government and worked for the liberalization of the Ugandan media opening it up-to free enterprise . He abandoned the then more-paying job as UN Resident Commissioner in Lagos Nigeria to join Yoweri Museveni’s cabinet as Minister of Regional Co-operation . He said he wanted to contribute to the rebuilding of the country that was emerging war.
“When NRM took power, they came up with an idea of having a government of national reconciliation by appointing ministers on a regional basis. They needed people who knew how to manage government affairs. The policy at that time was to pick ministers on the basis of experience and from Tororo, I was the only one who met their needs,” he told media in an interview .
“Etyang was a consummate public servant. He was disciplined, hardworking and incorruptible. They belonged to a generation that set moral, ethical and work standards worth emulating,” remarked Fox Odoi-Oywelowo. Fox Odoi worked as legal counsel at State House and is contesting for the West Budama North East Constituency on the NRM ticket .
Etyang will also be remembered for advising President Yoweri Museveni in 2005 to split Tororo into three districts to strengthen Movement support in the region. It led to the agitation by Tororo county for their own district, a breakaway from West Budama, and for having Tororo town as their headquarters.
