Deputy Speaker Among restricts debate on Oulanyah’s health

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Deputy Speaker of Parliament Anita Among has restricted lawmakers from debating matters relating to the health of the Speaker of Parliament Jacob Oulanyah.

Among was on Tuesday updating the house during plenary to dispel rumors surrounding the health condition of Oulanyah who was flown out of the country for specialized treatment in Seattle, United States of America.

She told MPs that Oulanyah was flown out of the country on Friday after he was discharged from Mulago National Referral Hospital where he had been admitted for the last two weeks.

The Deputy Speaker revealed that she spoke to Oulanyah on phone shortly before the start of the plenary sitting, adding that the Speaker is improving and instructed her to convey his message of love to the house.

Thomas Tayebwa, the Government Chief Whip briefly responded on the matter and lauded Among for ably steering the house in Oulanyah’s absence. She rallied colleagues to disregard the rumors and pray for Speaker’s quick recovery.

Anthony Akol, the Kilak North Member of Parliament who doubles as the Acholi Parliamentary Group-APG chairperson to which Oulanyah is a patron said the update is a sigh of relief and gives hope to the country.

Oulanyah was airlifted in the wee hours of Thursday aboard a chartered Uganda Airlines’ Airbus A330-800 neo, with registration code 5X-NIL which reportedly flew from Entebbe to Keflavik, Iceland in a flight time of 10 hours 42 minutes before starting its second leg from Keflavik to Seattle which lasted 7 hours and 28 minutes.

The Speaker was last seen in Parliament on December 21, 2021. Last year, shortly after his swearing-in as Speaker, Oulanyah disappeared for a month after presiding over Parliament at the reading of the 2021/2022 financial year Budget at Kololo Independence grounds.

His deputy Among has been in charge of the parliamentary business since the beginning of the term in May, a matter that triggered speculation about his health. Reports had initially indicated that Oulanyah was battling Covid-19.

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