BREAKING: Opposition National Unity Platform (NUP) candidate Simon Tolit Akecha, in the byelection that replaced former speaker of Parliament, has died at 65 years.
“With great sorrow, I’ve learnt of the untimely passing of our senior comrade and brother, Hon. Toolit Simon Akecha this afternoon at St. Mary’s Lacor Hospital in Gulu. He carried NU[P flag in the concluded byelections in Omoro and he has been our acting head of policy,” NUP leader, Robert Kyagulanyi alias Bobi Wine said.
The news was broken yesterday by the deputy spokesperson of NUP Mr Alex Waiswa Mufumbiro.
“ It is true Mr Tolit has died. He was our candidate and he has been a very committed member of the party and we shall miss him so much. He has died with honor and he has made very important decisions and stood for the people of Northern and Ugandan at large,” he said.
Who was Tolit?
Tolit wasa former FDC member who run in the Omoro County a number of times but was occasionally defeated in what the opposition indicated had been a rigged vote.
In the by-election Tolit triumphed over five other contestants for the same slot to emerge winner in a race that he was defeated by about 500 votes.
At the time of running in the last by-election, the aging man appeared frail and limping and the NUP party explained that he was suffering a rare ailment.