By Sandra Birungi

Eriya Kategaya, Uganda’s First Deputy Prime Minister is dead.

The 67-year-old minister is said to have passed away today, Saturday 2nd March morning in Nairobi Kenya were he was being treated for deep venous thrombosis (DVT) at Nairobi Hospital.

His death was confirmed by John Nagenda, the presidential adviser.

Kategaya is said to have been suffering from the ailment and on January 23rd, reports started circulating around that he was dead. However, the reports were disputed by his family which said that he was recovering quite well in Nairobi.”I am not sure when he will be discharged but we expect him to leave this Hospital very soon. Doctors did not want people to disturb him but at 10:00am today one of us will have a chat with him,” Kategaya’s daughter said at the time.

Information and national guidance minister, Mary Karooro Okurut also confirmed the death saying, “He has not been well. He had been hospitalized. We shall feed you with details.”

Eriya Kategaya was born July 4, 1945 and by the time of his death, he served as  Minister for East African Affairs. He was also a lawyer who has been a politician as far back as 1975.

Kategaya is survived by a wife and children.