A PAINFUL END: Thrown Out of Cabinet & Naguru House, Rejected by Voters & Chased Out of Business, Here’s the Story of Okumu Ringa’s Sad Final Years

Patrick Aloysius Okumu Ringa had some really painful final years despite serving as a Minister in President Yoweri Kaguta Tibuhaburwa Museveni’s cabinet, Parliament as a representative of the people, and as a businessman.

The former junior (State) minister for Public Service passed on Tuesday, May 17, 2023 morning at his Naguru-Kampala home. For about five years, he had been sick especially after he suffered a stroke.

From 2001 through 2006, Okumu Ringa represented the people of Padyere County in Nebbi District as Member of Parliament. But the people would soon reject him and refuse to vote him again. During his campaigns, Okumu Ringa had reportedly sunk boreholes for the communities. How could they not reciprocate his generous acts.

In the business world, Okumu Ringa was known to hold the majority of shares in a company that specialized in importing Peugeot cars. Afro Motors was the name of the company. Out of government, Okumu Ringa soon got into financial troubles.

He was hounded out of an apartment he was renting in Naguru. It was reported that he had been unable to pay rent for four consecutive years, leaving the land lord with no option but to throw him out in 2014.

When Gen Museveni learnt that his former minister was financially struggling, he instructed State House officials to extend some help to him. In 2018, the first batch of some sort of bailout was delivered to Okumu Ringa. It was a Shs200m donation.

He got more money from State House. The known total amount is nearly Shs1bn – Shs931m to be exact. Even when some officials in government secretly advised Museveni to stop extending support to his former minister, report suggest that the general from Rwakitura did not forget his man.

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