Parliament finally issues statement on Speaker Jacob Oulanyah’s health condition

Uganda’s Parliament has issued an official statement on speaker Jacob Oulanyah’s health after leading tabloid Red Pepper claimed he was critically ill and set to be airlifted abroad for specialized treatment.

The statement dismisses reports of Oulanyah’s sickness, offering an explanation for his absence from Parliament.

Earlier, Parliament’s director of Communications and Public Affairs Chris Obore issued wrote on his social media pages dismissing claims of Oulanyah’s sickness.

Parliament spokesperson Chris Obore breaks silence on reports that Speaker Jacob Oulanyah is ‘critically ill’

But his statement has since been modified into a formal one, published by Parliament as official response to allegations on the health of the speaker.

The official statement says Oulanyah is working from home, and also spending time with his family.

It also talked well of a new approach in handling of the House business that now allows the speaker and deputy speaker to take turns at chairing plenary.

“Following a year of intense political campaigns keeping the Rt. Hon. Speaker away from home for months, he is making some time to be with his family,” read the statement in part.

“This has been enabled by the new schedule of work where the Speaker and Deputy Speaker take turns to conduct House business. In keeping with the Presidential guidelines on Covid19, Parliament is, from the top leadership, scaling down physical presence at work.”