OKUMU RINGA: The generous politician from Nebbi

OBITUARY | THE INDEPENDENT | One of the things that Patrick Aloysius Okumu Ringa (now late) will be remembered for was his generosity, which he exhibited through various donations to his communities in Nebbi District.

These included sponsoring the education of more than 100 children at different levels from Primary through to University education.

It is said that this, on top of his prominence as a businessman, propelled him to political success, when he contested and won the parliamentary seat for Padyere constituency in Nebbi in 2001, which he held until 2006. He was also appointed Minister of State for Public Service.

Okumu-Ringa, an entrepreneur, politician, management consultant, lawyer, economist and public policy and academic (PhD) was announced dead Wednesday morning.

He died at his home in Naguru, Kampala after a long illness since he suffered a stroke in 2018, according to family members. Lawyer Isaac Mpanga described the late as a gentle and patient man.

Before his shot at politics, Ringa started and operated Afro Motors in Kampala, dealing in importation and servicing of Peugeot cars. He later ventured into tea growing, establishing Aroma Tea, a processing company in Nebbi, among other several business Kampala and Nebbi.

In 2018, Okumu Ringa contested for the Nebbi Municipality seat in Parliament and, after losing in the NRM primaries to Hashim Sulaiman, who eventually won the race beating closest rival, Robert Onega of the Forum for Democratic Change. Following the loss, Okumu Ringa accused the people of the municipality of being ungrateful by denying him the vote despite all he had done for them.

Locals and the media reported that he went ahead to uproot up to ten boreholes he had sunk in the municipally in the months preceding the election. Okumu’s Afro-Motors ran into problems in 1994 when he imported about 130 Peugeot vehicles allegedly on the order by the government.

He then accused the government of breaching the contract when it opted to go for Japanese cars. He lodged complaints against the government and was paid about 300 million shillings in 2000, and another close to 432 million in 2002.

However, in 2004, he lodged a fresh claim and against the advice of the Attorney General, President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni directed another payout of 200 million shillings, after which Ringa acknowledged that he no longer had any further claims on government.

He, said that the loss of Afro Motors, had resulted into further losses as he had to sell his houses in Kololo, including one where currently Kabojja Junior School is located.

State Minister for Northern Uganda, Grace Kwiyucwiny, who confirmed Ringa’s death on her social media channels said death and burial announcements would be made later.

*****

URN