The Parliament is set to call back its members from recess to converge on Monday to pay their last respect to the departed Maj. Gen. Julius Oketta.
Gen. Oketta who was until today serving as the Vice Chairperson of the military led Operation Wealth Creation died on Saturday from Kadic Hospital Kampala where he was rushed after complaining of chest pain.
ChimpReports has learnt that an emergency meeting was convened at Parliament on Saturday at 11am by the house leadership purposely to look into the burial arrangement and bringing of Oketta’s body to lay in state and a special sitting for the tribute.
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According to a source who attended the closed door meeting, the Prime Minister, Dr. Ruhakana Rugunda informed the gathering that the government is ready to bring Oketta’s body to Parliament on Monday.
“The Right Honorable Prime Minister told us that the body of Gen, Oketta will be in Parliament on Monday 7th November 2016,” a source told this reporter.
The program of the day on Monday is customarily divided in two to accommodate both the laying of body in State and a plenary session afternoon to be chaired by the Deputy Speaker Jacob Oulanyah and the motion for the tribute is to be moved by Rugunda.
“His body is expected to lay in State at 10am and at 2:00 a plenary sitting to be steered by the Right Honorable Deputy Speaker. Dr. Rugunda is preparing the motion for the day,” the same source said.
When contacted on phone, Parliament’s Director of Communications and Public Affairs Chris Obore confirmed the development
“The body of Gen. Oketta will be at Parliament at 10am for viewing and 2pm for tribute,” Mr. Obore said.
Gen. Oketta served as army MP for 10 years from 2005 to 2016 when he decided not to stand. This website broke the news of his quitting Parliament in March this year.