Kamuli, Uganda | URN | Kamuli Municipality Member of Parliament [MP], Hajat Rehema Watongola has died of suspected coronavirus [COVID-19] disease at Mulago National Referral Hospital.
The deceased’s husband Badiru Watongola, who also doubles as the Kamuli Municipality ruling National Resistance Movement [NRM] chairperson told this publication in a phone interview that his wife breathed her last around 11:30 am Saturday 14, November 2020 morning.
He said that the 54-year-old legislator was admitted with breathing difficulties but they are yet to confirm whether she succumbed to COVID-19 or some other illness.
Watongola’s brother known as Sam Mubialiwo succumbed to COVID-19 on Thursday last week after being admitted in intensive care unit at Jinja Regional Referral hospital.
Samples were taken from the deceased’s close relatives including Watongola but health officials declined to reveal the test results citing the privacy of those involved.
Hajat Rehema Watongola becomes the second MP to succumb to the COVID-19 virus after Pallisa district Woman MP Faith Alupo who passed on in September.
Karamoja Affairs State Minster, Moses Kizige has expressed his condolences to the deceased’s family.
In 2017 Watongola reclaimed the Kamuli Municipality parliamentary seat after beating four other candidates including Forum for Democratic Change [FDC] flag-bearer, Proscovia Salaamu Musumba.
She garnered 8,726 beating her main rival, Musumba with a margin of close to three thousand votes.
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Musumba, whose petition challenging Watongola’s victory in February 2016 was the reason for the by-election, garnered 5,778 votes.
Watongola, had lost the Kamuli Municipality National Resistance Movement primaries held in August this year to Mastula Namatovu and claimed that mercenaries from the National Unity Platform [NUP] influenced the polls.
She proceeded and was nominated as an independent candidate for the 2021 General elections.
