Hon Aggrey Awori | |
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| Born | (1939-02-23)23 February 1939 Uganda |
| Died | 5 July 2021 (2021-07-06) (aged 82) |
| Alma mater |
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| Occupation(s) | Economist, politician |
| Years active | 1967–2011 |
| Known for | Politics |
| Spouse | Thelma Awori |
| Relatives | Moody Awori (brother) Susan Wakhungu-Githuku (niece) Judi Wakhungu (niece) |
Aggrey Siryoyi Awori (23 February 1939 – 5 July 2021) was a Ugandan economist, politician and Olympic hurdler, who served as Minister for Information and Communications Technology in theCabinet of Uganda from 16 February 2009 to 27 May 2011.[1] Prior to that, he represented Samia-Bugwe North,Busia District in the Ugandan Parliament from 2001 until 2006. Awori was an outspoken oppositionmember of parliament for theUganda People's Congress (UPC) political party. In 2007, he abandoned the UPC and joined the rulingNational Resistance Movement.[2]
Awori was born on 23 February 1939, in Budimo Village,Busia District, near the Ugandan/Kenyan border as the tenth of seventeen children. His parents were Canon Jeremiah Musungu Awori, a pioneer African priest of the Anglican Church in East Africa and Mrs. Mariamu Odongo Awori, a nurse and community teacher.[3] Aggrey's siblings include the ninthKenyan vice-presidentArthur Moody Awori[4] and Mary Okelo, the first woman in East Africa to head aBarclays Bank branch and the founder of the Kenya Women Finance Trust, Kenya's women only bank.[5] Mary is also the founder of Makini Schools, a leading school chain inEast Africa.[6]
Awori owned an urban home inBusia Municipality and a country home in neighboringBugiri District.[7]
Awori attendedNabumali High School inMbale District andKing's College Budo, inWakiso District, both in Uganda. He was the Canada House Prefect at King's College Budo. While at King's College Budo (1959 to 1961), Aggrey was selected among a few others for elite military officers training at Sandhurst Military College in the United Kingdom. His father Canon Awori, however, rejected the idea of his talented son joining the military.[8] From 1961 to 1965, he studied atHarvard University on a scholarship. The first year he tooknuclear physics, but then switched over topolitical economics.[9]
While at Harvard, Aggrey became the first person in heptagonal track history to win three events - the long jump, high hurdles, and 60-yard dash, tying the heptagonal record in the hurdles and setting the mark in the dash. He also ran on the victorious mile relay team that tied the heptagonal record.[10] By the time he graduated from Harvard, Awori held three outdoor and five indoor school records.[10] He also represented Uganda in the110 metres hurdles at the1960 Summer Olympics and the1964 Summer Olympics, but failed to win any medals.[11]
Awori has aMaster of Arts in economics fromSyracuse University in the U.S.[3][12]
In 1967, Awori was appointed the first local director ofUganda Television (UTV).[13] In 1971 Awori was jailed for two months afterIdi Amin's coup, because during Amin's first coup attempt he didn't broadcast a speech Amin gave, lying to him by saying that they were live on air. He went into political exile inKenya,[14] where he taught political journalism at theUniversity of Nairobi[15] until 1976 and then traveled around Africa visitingTanzania,Liberia andSenegal and returning toNairobi in 1979.
After Idi Amin was overthrown in 1979, Awori returned to Uganda. He ran for a seat in theNational Assembly of Uganda, but lost.[10] He then became Ambassador to theUnited States, until being transferred byTito Okello Lutwa in 1985.[10] He served as Uganda's Ambassador toBelgium from 1985 until 1987, when he was dropped byYoweri Museveni.[3]
After a brief asylum in Nairobi, Awori started to build up a rebel group operating from eastern Uganda named Force Obote Back Again (FOBA).[16] He stated that his reason for doing so was mainly anger at Museveni'sNational Resistance Army, which had confiscated his property. In 1992, he dissolved his rebel group, which had consisted mainly of young fighters. In 1993, Awori met with Museveni inNew York and then waselected to the Constituent Assembly to drawing up the country's new constitution and as a member of parliament.[9]
He came third in the2001 presidential elections, polling 1.41% of the vote.[17]
He represented Samia-Bugwe North,Busia District in the Ugandan Parliament from 2001 until 2006. Awori was an outspoken opposition member of parliament for theUganda People's Congress (UPC) political party. In 2007, he abandoned the UPC and joined the ruling National Resistance Movement political party.[2]
He was the Minister for Information & Communications Technology in theCabinet of Uganda from 16 February 2009 to 27 May 2011.[1] In the cabinet reshuffle of 27 May 2011, he was dropped from the cabinet and replaced byRuhakana Rugunda.[18] On account of his cabinet post, he was anex officio Member of theUgandan Parliament (MP).[19]
He was married toThelma Awori, who worked as Director for Africa at theUnited Nations Development Programme. Together they were the parents of six adult children.[3]
Aggrey Awori, at the age of 82, died fromCOVID-19 on 5 July 2021, at a private hospital in Naalya, Kampala.[20][21]
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