On July 5th, 2021 at 2 PM (East African Time), Aggrey Siryoyi Awori breathed his last at TMR International Hospital where he had been admitted to the Intensive Care Unit. His death was confirmed by his daughter Christine Awori and wife Thelma Awori.
Mr. Awori was the second Cabinet Minister for Information and Communications Technology (ICT) from February 16th, 2009 to May 27th, 2011. He was later dropped when President Museveni reshuffled the Cabinet on May 27th, 2011, replacing him with Ruhakana Rugunda.
To recap his career journey (Brief Timeline):
1967: Awori was appointed the first local director of Uganda Television (UTV) which was merged with Radio Uganda to found the Uganda Broadcasting Corporation (UBC).
1971: Awori was jailed for two months after Idi Amin’s coup, because during Amin’s first coup attempt he didn’t broadcast a speech Amin gave, lying that they were live on air. He went into political exile in Kenya, where he taught political journalism at the University of Nairobi until 1976.
1979: Awori was the Ambassador to the United States, until being transferred by Tito Okello Lutwa in 1985.
1985 to 1987: Awori served as Uganda’s Ambassador to Belgium.
1993: Awori met with Museveni in New York and was elected to the Constituent Assembly to make the Constitution and as a member of parliament.
2001: Awori contested for the country’s Presidency and emerged third, polling 1.41% of the votes.
2001 to 2006: Awori was an outspoken opposition Member of Parliament for the Uganda People’s Congress (UPC) political party and he represented Samia-Bugwe North, Busia District in Parliament
2007: Awori abandoned UPC joining the National Resistance Movement (NRM) political party.
2009 to 2011: He was the Minister for Information and Communications Technology. In the Cabinet reshuffle on May 27th, 2011, he was dropped from the Cabinet and replaced by Ruhakana Rugunda.
From 2011: Aggrey Siryoyi Awori quit politics
Last year, he was nominated for the position of Secretary for Finance for older persons for Madibira B Village, Western Division in Busia Municipality.
Aggrey Siryoyi Awori succumbed to Covid-19, dying at the age of 82.
May he rest in peace.
