Friday April 8th 2022 has been declared as a public holiday in Uganda by President Museveni for the burial of Jacob Oulanyah.
Jacob Oulanyah, an agricultural economist, and lawyer, served as deputy speaker between 2006 and 2016. Oulanyah became Speaker of the 11th Parliament on May 24th 2021.
Oulanyah died on March 20th 2022 in Seattle, US, where he had been battling an unknown illness for two months.
The day departed Speaker Jacob Oulanyah will be buried shall be designated a public holiday, according to the Parliamentary Pensions Act, which among others stipulates benefits for the speaker and deputy speaker in the event of death or retirement.
Oulanyah is the first speaker of parliament in Uganda to die in office.
The law stipulates that the day the speaker or deputy speaker is buried is designated a public holiday. Section 16 of Part D of the Parliamentary Pensions Act sates that: "A public holiday shall be declared on the day of burial, in accordance with the Public Holidays Act."
According to the same law, a person who dies while holding the office of Speaker or Deputy Speaker shall be accorded a state funeral.
Other procedures to be followed according to the law are:
- Government shall declare a mourning period.
- Martial music shall be played on national radio during the mourning period.
- National flags shall be flown at half mast during the mourning period.
- The casket shall be draped in the national flag.
- The casket cortege shall be escorted by the Uganda Police Force in top-roof flash light vehicles.
- The casket shall be carried by ceremonially uniformed pall bearers from the Uganda Police ForceThe body shall lie in state for one day, for public viewing.
- A condolence book shall be opened for signing by political leaders, dignitaries and the public.
- An official guard shall keep vigil and a bright light shall light the casket throughout the night.
- Parliament shall pay tribute to the Speaker or Deputy Speaker with a band in attendance playing dirges.
- A funeral service shall be held in honour of the late Speaker or Deputy Speaker in a place of worship or in a place designated by Cabinet.
- The casket shall be transported to the burial place by a hearse.
- At the burial, there shall be a seventeen gun salute.
