On Sunday, Speaker Jacob Oulanyah was pronounced dead. He died in Seattle, US where he had been taken for treatment. President Museveni announced his death on Twitter. “Countrymen and countrywomen, it is with a lot of sadness that I announce the death of the Rt. Hon Jacob Oulanyah, the Speaker of Parliament,” the President said.
“I got this information much earlier from people that have been with him in the intensive care unit. I delayed the announcement so that his children would be informed first,” he wrote.
As preparations for his last respects go on, a discussion on the sidelines is of what now happens to his position. Read on!
According to Article 82 (4) of the 1995 Constitution and Rule 5 (4) of the Rules of Procedure, “No Business shall be transacted in Parliament other than an election to the office of Speaker at any time that the office of the Speaker is vacant.
There is a debate of whether Oulanyah’s body will be brought to Parliament before the election of a new Speaker. Some pundits argue that the house should be presided over by the Deputy Speaker until the burial of Oulanyah is done with.