By Clement Wangira.
Aggrey Awori, one of the most gifted orators of his generation to ascend the greasy pole of politics.
National athlete Presidential candidate, former ICT Minister, legislator and former MP for Busia Hon. Aggrey Awori succumbed to covid -19 after several years of complaint of neglect by government and President Yoweri Museveni who promised to extend financial support of Ushs 2.69b to the Rome 1960 Olympian, the pledge that had not been fulfilled at the time of his death.
Aggrey Awori who is a brother to former Kenya Vice President Moody Awori, in his last public address message blamed the NRM government that he served as ICT Minister for not having been of any benefit to the Busia community.
He told Busia community members during a Busia development conference at Makerere University that regardless of representing the country in Olympics government had failed to support him with resources for development of sports activities in his home area yet he had passion for that particular sector (Sports)of the economy.
He said he told President Museveni that he was disappointed that government had not invested in sports yet it is a productive sector of the economy, which could have helped many people to have a good life,”
“I said Mr president , I always come to argue with you but this time I have come to plead with you and ask for favor. Former athletes are dying of poverty and ill health ‘’, he said.
By the time he graduated from Harvard, Mr Awori held three outdoor and five indoor school records. He also represented Uganda in the 110 metres hurdles at the 1960 Rome Olympics and the 1964 Tokyo Olympics.
By the time of his death, Awori had held coveted positons in the regimes of Presidents Milton Obote, Tito Okello Lutwa and Yoweri Museveni.
Aggrey Siryoyi Awori (23 February 1939 – 5 July 2021) was a Ugandan economist, Journalist, politician and Olympic hurdler, who served as Minister for Information and Communications Technology in the Cabinet of Uganda from 16 February 2009 to 27 May 2011. He was first black Director of Uganda Television(UTV).Prior to that, he represented Samia-Bugwe North, Busia District in the Ugandan Parliament from 2001 until 2006■
