KAMPALA – The government has returned the remains of former state minister for defence in the Milton Obote II government Peter Otai who died in London early this month.
The State Minister for Relief and Disaster Preparedness, Mr Musa Ecweru, UPC President Jimmy Akena and several other UPC officials on Wednesday, January 29, 2020, were at Entebbe Airport when the plan carrying Otai’s remains arrived in Uganda.
Mr Ecweru told journalists that the government will take over the burial expenses since the deceased was an important man in the previous government.
According to the burial programmed, on Thursday, January 30, Otai’s body will be airlifted Soroti at his ancestral home for Vigil. On Friday, funeral prayers will be held at St. Peters Cathedral Church in Soroti.
On Saturday, he will be buried in Oderai Village, Soroti.
Otai has been living in London since he fled the country when NRA regime assumed power.
Earlier, chief administrative Secretary David Baliraine commended the government for bringing back Otai’s remains.
“Otai was a good mobiliser and a leader who wanted unity without bloodshed during his leadership in UPC the party was together all along without any feud within party members,” he told journalists in Kampala yesterday.
Otai was born on May 8th in 1940, he was a son of late Titus lloot and Ms Bessi Asano from Oderia village, Soroti district
He went to Ngora Boys Primary school for his elementary, then Ngora High school for junior secondary certificate. He went to Busoga College, Mwiri and Kings College Budo for A level, he was offered a scholarship to go and study at the prestigious reading University in the United Kingdom.
He served as Ugandan’s Ambassador to Ethiopia from 1979 to 1981 as well as Minister of State for defence under Dr Milton Obote II government from 1981 to 1985, he then later fled to exile in UK where he died from.
