The late Speaker’s ex-wife, Lady Winnie Amoo, has asked the government to open her ex-husband’s casket for public viewing.
It’s a custom in most African countries that when someone passes, mourners are expected to view the body. In the case of Oulanyah, his body has not been viewed. In a special session yesterday at parliament, a section of MPs wanted to view the body, but the speaker, Anita Among, rejected their request, saying she had viewed the body on behalf of all members of parliament.
“What is awake or vigil without viewing? she posted on her Facebook page.
Amoo urged that Ugandans be allowed to view the former speaker’s body because he had close relatives and friends.
“No one has seen him since he ‘so called’ landed. What kind of life is this we are living? And why are the MPs OK with it, we must wake up Uganda,” Amoo wrote on her Facebook comment section.
She noted that failure to open her ex’s casket means that people might as well start mourning at coffin shops.
“No one has seen, and is it a crime for the rest to view?” she added.
Oulanyah’s ex-wife divorced him on June 17, 2016, after high court judge Alexandra Nkonge Rugadya canceled the marriage and in 2021 she got married to an American man, Derek Allison.
Oulanyah’s body is at Kololo for prayers, and it will be airlifted to Lalogi, Omoro District, for family members, relatives, and friends to convey their last respects before burial on Friday, which was declared a public holiday.