President Yoweri Museveni has cautioned leaders to be aware of their well being, as their sudden passing shall be a loss to the nation.
Museveni, who was eulogising the previous Minister of Sate for Defence and Veteran Affairs (Defence), Sarah Mateke Nyirabashitsi, at Parliament stated a pacesetter’s loss of life creates issues and leaves a niche that have to be stuffed.
“That is why it is best to fastidiously test your life, like on this case, it was good that she [Nyirabashitsi] went to test nevertheless it was a bit late. But she was going to journey on such an extended distance when she had a medical situation which was fairly delicate,” the President stated shortly after the particular sitting to pay tribute to the fallen lawmaker, on Tuesday, 10 September 2024.
He recollected the loss of life of former Minister of Internal Affairs, Gen. Aronda Nyakairima, who died in 2015 whereas getting back from a safety convention in South Korea, saying that Nyirabashitsi was anticipated to journey to the identical nation for a similar convention.
He stated that Nyakairima died attributable to a pre-existing well being situation, identical to Nyirabashitsi.
“The fighters must also look out for his or her lives, not as simply theirs, it’s also for all of us as a result of once you go, you go however you permit us in issues. How we could fill your hole, what we could do; how we could fill right here the place you might have left?” Museveni requested.
The President, who admitted that he had not interacted a lot with the late Nyirabashitsi, described her as a really ‘calm woman and didn’t look like the one who’s delicate and aggressive and sensitive’.
He stated that his interplay together with her was when he fashioned an inter-ministerial committee to check the problem of the Uganda-Congo border.
“She was there representing Kisoro and so they have been presupposed to transient me, that’s once I interacted together with her intently. You might see she was very cautious together with her phrases, so, it’s a large loss,” Museveni stated.
He added, “But the few years she has been right here [in Parliament] I’m positive she has develop into an instance to those that know her properly within the Kisoro space. When you hear folks giving testimonies that she was good, that she was actually good.”
Speaker Anita Among appreciated Museveni for condoling with legislators, saying that the President has all the time stood with Parliament throughout moments of grief.
“When Sarah handed on, you took the initiative and made a name to me, asking what had occurred to Sarah. When I defined to you, you have been so saddened to lose such a younger daughter and we need to thanks for all the time standing with us. This is the fifth time you’re standing with us,” Among stated.
Nyirabashitsi who died on Saturday, 07 September 2024, represented Kisoro District as the girl consultant within the ninth and eleventh Parliament.
She was appointed Minister of State for Gender, Labour and Social Development (Children and Youth Affairs) in June 2021 and later redeployed to the defence ministry in April 2024.
The late Nyirabashitsi, who’s survived by a son, shall be buried in Nyakabingo in Kisoro on Thursday, 12 September 2024.