The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
By Julius Odeke
President Yoweri Museveni has described the late minister for Disaster Preparedness Steven Mallinga as a hardworking man.
The President was speaking on Thursday as the chief mourner during the funeral ceremony of the Late Minister Mallinga in Butebo where thousands of people from the country and beyond gathered to pay their last respects.
“The people of Pallisa, I came here to mourn with you the death of our brother Mallinga. He has died young. I was with him at Ntare School. He was in Advanced level while I was in Ordinary level and he was our health prefect. He liked medicine even at that time,” the President said.
“When he came back to Uganda, he was in UPC but we talked to him and he joined NRM where I appointed him minister. He was a very hardworking man. When I was coming here, I saw changes, before there was a lot of grass thatched houses, today, I see more people with mabati,” he said.
The President regretted that a lot of our people are dying young which is a cause for worry and should be studied, adding that diseases such as clots which killed Hon. Kategaya, heart attacks etc are mainly because of our lifestyles and the food we eat.
“Be aware of this so that you can help. If you sit down a lot and do not exercise you can get heart problems. Am so sorry for our loss but please give your leaders time to rest,” he said.
The President, who later consoled the family of the Late Minister Mallinga, delegated General Moses Ali to represent him at the final ceremony and apologized to the mourners for leaving early saying he had to launch a national programme.
