Jumah Nsubuga
Parliament has today held a special seating presided by the deputy speaker of parliament Jacob Oulanyah to mourn Eriya Kategaya the first Deputy prime minister and minster for East African Affairs.
The motion for the resolution to pay tribute to the late Elia Kategaya was moved by the leader of the government business in parliament Amama Mbabazi and seconded by the leader of the opposition Nandala Mafabi and Sam Otada.
Mbabazi described the late Kategaya as a committed and principled African. He said that Kategaya will be always being remembered for his political struggle in the liberation of Uganda of which he was very active.
“The late Kategaya served this nation in different capacities .He served as an MP from 1996-2005; he also served as a minister, minister of East African Affairs as well the first deputy prime minister.” Hon Mbabazi noted
He told legislators that Kategaya’s death was brought about by a clot in his blood vessels leading to the blockage of the blood vessels which led his blood not flow to various parts of the body including the brain hence denying oxygen to parts of the body.
Meanwhile the leader of the opposition Nandala Mafabi said that the death of Kategaya should be a wake up to all government officials who use their offices to steal public funds adding that Kategaya was never involved in stealing public funds to why he has died a clean and smart man.
He also questioned government why Kategaya died in Nairobi hospital not in Mulago the national referral hospital. Mafabi further castigated the system of referring some patients abroad and leave the poor Ugandans in Mulago which doesn’t have enough facilities to save the lives of poor Ugandans.
“The late Kategaya was a peace loving Ugandan who used to love any body including the opposition without discrimination” the angry Mafabi added
Meanwhile ,Kibanda County MP ,Sam Otada urged president Museveni not to ask for another term as the way of recognizing and respecting his long term friend Kategaya.
“He was a fan of constitutionalism, a fine mind of EAC issues and was modest, a smooth operator, self spoken and a states man”Otada added
