Acholi MPS question ‘exaggerated’ burial figures for Oulanyah

By Ritah Kemigisa

Members of the Acholi Parliamentary Group (APG) have questioned the money the government has allocated towards the burial of the former speaker of the 11^th parliament Jacob Oulanyah.

Out of the entire shs 2.5b budget for the burial, the Group had been allocated shs 312.9m.

However the APG Secretary General John Amos Okot who is also the Agago North legislator says the figure is inflated adding that they only proposed for shs 235m which should be given to the local organizing committee and not them.

“It looks very weird that you hire a funeral service at that much, I don’t think we are realistic about the figure regarding the burial. As Members of APG, we are going to have a meeting to discuss that budget because people should not take advantage of our fallen member who was our patron. We don’t want it, we don’t want to exaggerate figures,” said Mr Okot.

Okot explains that the shs 10m would cater for hiring a Bwola cultural dance group to perform when Oulanyah’s body arrives at the Airport, Kololo and the burial day.

Shs 72m for the construction of a 42Km access road to Oulanya’s home in Lalogi, shs 3m for lighting his compound, shs 72m for organizing the regional reception in Gulu and shs 28m for mobilization.

He meanwhile says they have proposed that shs 50m is given to Oulanyah’s family to cater for expenses after burial.

Shs 235m approved budget for Acholi MPs

1. Access Roads (42 kms) shs 72,000,000
2. Traditional dancers (Airport-Kololo-Burial) shs 10,000,000
3. Lighting Compound shs 3,000,000
4. Coordination/mobilization shs 28,000,000
5. Regional reception in Gulu shs 72,000,000
6. Contingency shs 50,000,000