Parliament pays tribute to late Joyce Mpanga, as she is laid to rest

The body of the late Joyce Mpanga was given state honour

Government officials have been asked to emulate the late Joyce Mpanga who served different positions in leadership positions but never engaged in corruption.

Paying tribute to the late Joyce Mpanga who served as Mubende Member of Parliament but also as a Minister for Education, Sheema South MP Elijah Mushemeza described the late as a person of integrity who wouldn’t engage in corrupt practices.

The remains of late Joyce Mpanga were laid to rest on Thursday November 23, at Maya along Kampala Masaka Road, in Wakiso district.

Mushemeza said that Uganda is losing the war on corruption because there is a lot of talk about the issues of corruption with little or no action.

“We are about to lose the war on corruption and the Late Mpanga, was a person of integrity who wouldn’t engage in corrupt practices…..This is the time to take these matters seriously, it isn’t enough to say we are going to fight corruption, we need to take the bull by its horns,” Mushemeza.

Kira Municipality Member of parliament Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda also noted that the current political leaders ought to learn from the crop of leaders like Joyce Mpanga who loved their country without greed and corruption.

“At the beginning, our society glorified excellence, that is why the Joyce Mpangas were able to make it to the top. That is why she was able to raise children whose titles and education background, we have all admired. What other people do is promote their children through military ranks, the Mpangas took their children to school, we now admire them,”- Ssemujju

Dokolo Woman Member of Parliament Cecilia Atim Ogwal who worked closely with the late Joyce Mapanga mocked some Ministers who said that Joyce died when the government still needed her to participate in policy formulation, wondering why they didn’t seek her opinion when she was still alive.

Ogwal asked the government to remember giant heroes like Joyce Mpanga, because women of her generation were already bashed by the tradition and culture, which calls for the need to remember the role they played.

“Somebody is saying Joyce would have participated in the formulation of policies, Joyce just died yesterday, how many of you called on her to consult her on anything in the development of women’s agenda or anything. Why didn’t you call on her? Let us wake up as Ugandans and use our own resources before we go out to look for Europeans. So Joyce forgives them because they don’t know what they are doing,” said Ogwal.

The motion to pay tribute to the Late Joyce Mpanga who was an educationist and an advocate for the education of the girl child was moved by the third deputy prime minister Lukia Isanga Nakadama.

Nakadama described Joyce Mpanga as a celebrated educationalist, women rights activist and veteran politician who served in various political and public places.

She added that Joyce was a long-standing advocate for gender equality through advocating for women and girl rights, and therefore shaped the narrative of women participation in politics, social and economic development.

“She was a distinguished leader who exhibited excellence, integrity and diligence in the leadership positions she held and impacted upon many Ugandans to deliberately contribute to the social, economic transformation of Uganda,”-Nakadama

Temporarily, the opposition in the parliament suspended their boycott of attending parliamentary plenary sittings in order to pay tribute to the fallen leader.

The leader of Opposition in Parliament Mathias Mpuuga maintained that the government should come out with a clear explanation in regard to the whereas abouts of the National Unity Platform supporters that were abducted.

Paying tribute to Mpanga, Mpuuga described Joyce as a spirited patriot, a mother and incorruptible leader.

He said that Joyce Mpanga worked hard for the democratization of Uganda however her efforts are being undermined by the incumbent rulers through unquestionable amendments to the constitution, impunity, outright disregard of the law,

“Although Joyce left for the United Kingdom after the attack of the Lubiri in 1966 and in her memoir, It is a Pity She Isn’t Boy, recounted the impunity that consumed the 1970s regime & how often politicians got drunk on power at the expense of the people they served, but the same things that prompted her to flee Uganda are currently happening in Uganda”-Mpuuga.

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