Former ICT minister Aggrey Awori is Dead

The former Minister passed away on Monday, July 5 at a private hospital in Naalya, Kampala. [Courtesy]

Former ICT minister and Uganda’s former Presidential candidate Aggrey Awori is dead.

Aggrey, who is brother to former Kenya’s Vice President Moody Awori died Monday afternoon aged 82, his wife Thelma and a friend confirmed.

Hi close friend Peter Oguttu told the Daily Monitor that Awori passed away at a private hospital in Naalya, Kampala.

"He has been sick for about a month and I have been in touch with him until today when his wife, Thelma, told me that he has died," he said.

“He has been sick for about a month and I have been in touch with him until today when his wife, Thelma told me that he has died,” said Mr Oguttu who described his relationship with Mr Awori as one of “brotherhood.”

Asked what could have killed Awori, Mr Oguttu said, “you know what’s currently going on in the country, but he’s been having pressure and other diseases as well.”

Awori who was voted the best legislator in the sixth Parliament lost to Mr Stephen Mugeni Wasike in the subsequent election.

He later crossed to the ruling (NRM) party from his childhood Uganda People’s Congress (UPC) party, and in 2011 took a shot at the Busia Municipality seat which he also lost to Ms Kevinah Taaka Wanaha, a Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) leaning candidate.

He retired from active politics before President Museveni appointed him a minister.

He was Minister for Information and Communications Technology from February 16, 2009, to May 27, 2011.

Mzee Awori represented Samia-Bugwe North, Busia District in the Ugandan Parliament from 2001 until 2006.

He was an outspoken opposition member of parliament for the Uganda People’s Congress (UPC) political party.

In 2007, he abandoned the UPC and joined the ruling National Resistance Movement.

Moody and Aggrey Awori are the sons of Canon Awori, a pioneer priest of Anglican Church in East Africa who died in 1971, and Mariamu Odongo Awori, a nurse and community teacher.