The Prime Minister, Robinah Nabbanja, has told Parliament that the government is considering paying all cultural institutions 60 million schillings per month.
Nabbanja made the revelation during a special sitting of Parliament in which legislators convened to pay tribute to the late Iteso Cultural Leader, Emorimor Augustine Osuban Lemukol.
Osuban died on Saturday at Mulago National Referral Hospital, where he had been admitted since January 27. It took the Iteso Cultural leader nine days to get to Mulago. Before that, he was in the COVID-19 unit for nine days.
According to the Premier, President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni directed an inter-ministerial committee to be organised to look at all cultural institutions and consider a monthly budget of 60 million to help them perform their mandate.
Nabbanja’s statement followed a motion by Dokolo Woman MP, Cecilia Ogwal, who urged the government to revive the Serere Agricultural Research Centre in the memory of the late Emorimor, who she said played a critical role in the establishment of the institution.
Ogwal also urged the government to fast track the building of the official palace of the Teso Cultural Institution in memory of the late Emorimor. Ogwal said that the late Iteso Cultural Leader displayed a high level of unity in the region and the country.
Her motion, which was adopted by the House, was an amendment to an earlier motion by the Prime Minister that sought parliament’s to pay tribute to the Emorimor.
Amongi, the Minister of Gender, Labour and Social Development, assured parliament that the government is in the process of constructing an official palace for Teso Cultural Institution after learning that the Soroti district council has identified land on which the palace should be built.
A group of legislators from both sides of the political aisle paid tribute to the late Emorimor Osuban Lemukol.
Deputy Speaker Anita Among praised the late for his distinguished service to his people and thanked the opposition for suspending their anti-torture protest and attending the special session to pay tribute to the late.
In her motion, Nabbanja said that the late Emorimor used his position to promote moral and cultural values, unity and government programs. She told leaders to try to be like him and make their communities more peaceful and united.
Mathias Mpuuga, the Leader of the Opposition, described the late as tolerant, which will be missed, especially at a time when many citizens face torture because of political differences.
Mpuuga also urged the government to stop dividing traditional institutions, saying that they are meant to unite people.
Jessica Alupo told MPs to keep up with the values of the Emorimor, saying that he never divided his people over politics and stayed out of political fights.
Peter Ogwang, the State Minister for Economic Monitoring, called for the need to help cultural institutions grow and asked the government to consider taking his body to Malaba, Kenya, where he has subjects.
According to the burial programme released by the government on Tuesday by Minister Betty Amongi Ongom, the last journey for this Teso’s cultural leader will begin on Tuesday, August 15, with the requiem mass at Namugongo Catholic Shrine in Kampala.
The programme indicates that Emorimor’s remains will be transported through Tororo, where another mass and paying of respect will be conducted on Wednesday before leaving for Soroti.
Another group of Iteso in Tororo will pay their respects to Emorimor before his body is taken to the Soroti Sports Ground.
On the 17th, different cultural leaders are expected to pay their last respects to Emorimor at Soroti Sports Ground before the remains are taken to Serere for tributes by district local governments from Teso. His funeral is scheduled for February 19, 2022.
