KAMPALA, UGANDA: The Uganda Human Rights Commission has revealed that Shs 500 million is needed for repatriation of the body of Former Ethics & Integrity Minister, Rev. Fr. Simon Lokodo.
Fr. Lokodo died on Friday January 28, 2022 in Geneva, Switzerland where he had gone on official duty leading the UHRC team at the 40th Human Rights Review.
Ms. Mariam Wangadya, the UHCR Chairperson on Monday said the amount of Shs 500m is budgeted to cater for travel and clear the hospital bills where he had been admitted after collapsing.
“We need to pay the travel and hospital bills. He went with a return ticket but since he is dead, he is going to be brought back as cargo so we need at least Shs500m,” she said earlier today.
Rev. Fr. Simon Lokodo was born in Kaabong District on 28 October 1957. held the degree of Bachelor of Arts in Theology from the Pontifical Urbaniana University. His Master of Arts in Theology was also obtained from the same university of Rome.
At the age of 49, Lokodo first entered politics to contest a special election on 29 June 2006, following the death of the incumbent Member of Parliament. He was ex-communicated from the Catholic Church by Pope Benedict XVI when he entered politics. He won the special election and began representing Dodoth County, Kaabong District, in the parliament.
In February 2009, he was appointed to the cabinet as the Minister of State for Industry and Technology. In the cabinet reshuffle of 27 May 2011, he was relocated to the Ethics and Integrity portfolio, replacing Nsaba Buturo. In the cabinet reshuffle of 1 March 2015, he retained his cabinet post.
He served as the elected Member of Parliament representing Dodoth County, Kaabong District until he lost his Parliamentary seat in January 2021.
At the time of his death on 29 January 2022, he was serving as a member of the Uganda Human Rights Commission.
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