What killed Speaker Jacob Oulanyah at age 57

The Speaker of Parliament, Jacob L’Okori Oulanyah is dead. He was 57 years old. Trusted sources said that Oulanyah-a diehard NRM cadre succumbed to colon cancer at a Seattle hospital in USA. President Yoweri Museveni announced the death of Oulanyah today mid-morning.

Museveni said he had delayed the announcement in order to allow Oulanyah ‘s children to be informed first .He paid tribute to the Speaker of the 11th parliament describing him as “a good cadre”.

Who was Oulanyah

The outspoken -Oulanyah was an agricultural economist, lawyer and politician, who served as the Speaker of the 11th Parliament of Uganda (2021 – 2022) but passed on 20th March 2022 in Seattle. He was elected to that position on 24 May 2021, after defeating the former Speaker Rebecca Alitwala Kadaga. He served as Deputy Speaker of the Ugandan parliament, from May 2011 until May 2021. Oulanyah was also the member of parliament representing the Omoro County constituency, Omoro District, Acholi sub-region, in the Uganda’s Northern Region.

He 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.