Former Information and Communication Technology minister and presidential candidate Aggrey Awori has died.

According to a family member, Owori died on Monday July 5, 2021. “He has been sick for about a month and I have been in touch with him until today when his wife, Thelma told me that he has died,” said Mr Oguttu who described his relationship with Mr Awori as one of “brotherhood.”

Asked what could have killed Awori, Mr Oguttu said, “you know what’s currently going on in the country, but he’s been having pressure and other diseases as well.”

Awori was born on 23 February 1939, in Budimo Village, Busia District, near the Ugandan/Kenyan border as the 10th of 17 children.

His parents were Canon Jeremiah Musungu Awori, a pioneer African priest of the Anglican Church in East Africa and Ms Mariamu Odongo Awori, a nurse and community teacher.

Aggrey’s siblings include the ninth Kenyan vice-president Arthur Moody Awori and Mary Okelo, the first woman in East Africa to head a Barclays Bank branch and the founder of Kenya’s women only bank; the Kenya Women Finance Trust. Mary is also the founder of Makini Schools, a leading school chain in East Africa. He owned an urban home in Busia Municipality and a country home in neighboring Bugiri District.

In 2001 Presidential elections, Awori came third, polling 1.41 percent of the vote.

He represented Samia-Bugwe North, Busia District in Parliament from 2001 until 2006. Awori was an outspoken opposition member of parliament for the Uganda People’s Congress (UPC) political party. In 2007, he abandoned the UPC and joined the ruling National Resistance Movement political party.

He was the Minister for Information & Communications Technology in the Cabinet of Uganda from 16 February 2009 to May 27, 2011. In the cabinet reshuffle of May 27, 2011, he was dropped from the cabinet and replaced by Ruhakana Rugunda.

He was married to Thelma Awori, who worked as Director for Africa at the United Nations Development Programme. Together they are the parents of six adult children.

Awori who was voted the best legislator in the sixth Parliament lost to Mr. Stephen Mugeni Wasike in the subsequent election.

He later crossed to the ruling (NRM) party from his childhood Uganda People’s Congress (UPC) party, and in 2011 took a shot at the Busia Municipality seat which he also lost to Ms. Kevinah Taaka Wanaha, a Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) leaning candidate.

He retired from active politics before President Museveni appointed him a minister.

He was Minister for Information and Communications Technology from February 16, 2009, to May 27, 2011.