Government has budgeted to spend shs 2.5billion on the funeral and burial of Jacob Oulanyah.
Oulanyah, 56yrs who was the speaker of the 11th parliament died in the United States where he was airlifted in February for specialized medical care aboard a Uganda Airlines plane reportedly chartered at a disputed shs 1.7 billion.
The shs 2.5b budget prepared by the National organising committee chaired by the presidency minister Milly Babalanda excludes medical and funeral home bills in the US as well as expenses of flying back Oulanyah’s body.
Milly Babalanda, the Minister for Presidency and also chairperson of the National Organising Committee (NOC) for fallen Speaker Jacob Oulanyah’s funeral ceremony has come out to defend the Shs2.5 billion Oulanyah burial budget.
The Shs2.5 billion will be spent on over six items, which will include funeral services, A-Plus services, the Finance Committee, Acholi MPs, security, burial day, and fuel.
The casket containing the remains of Oulanyah is expected to arrive on Friday by the Ethiopian Airlines at Entebbe International Airport.
The Acholi Parliamentary group who have been vocal since president Museveni announced Oulanyah dead are to be given shs 312.9m for an unspecified purpose.
A-Plus services, funeral service provider is to get shs 226m, security for the entire mourning period, shs 158.5m, Burial day shs 1.1b, Fuel to coordinate burial shs 124m, and the finance committee planning the burial will spend shs 248.7m.
The budget has attracted mixed reactions with many wondering why government is ‘over spending’ on the burial.
However, Minister Babalanda has justified the budget saying, “Regarding the budget for burying Rt. Hon. Oulanyah, what matters is not the figures but the activities involved and status of the deceased. Let us avoid traumatising the family in this trying time.”
The body of former fallen speaker will arrive in Uganda this Friday, then a weeklong series of activities for his burial will follow.
