Parliament gathered to honor Gen Francis Ogolla, the Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) of Kenya, and other officers who lost their lives in a helicopter crash on April 18, 2024.
President William Ruto announced the tragic incident, declaring a three-day national mourning period starting from the following day.
During the parliamentary session on April 19, 2024, Speaker of Parliament Anita Among expressed condolences to Kenya for the loss of Gen Francis Ogolla and his fellow officers. She requested a moment of silence from the Members of Parliament (MPs) to honor the departed.
In addition to mourning the loss of the fallen officers, Speaker Among informed the House about an upcoming event aimed at raising awareness about malaria. The event, a walk against malaria scheduled for April 20, 2024, aimed to emphasize the theme “Zero Malaria starts with you.”
Speaker Among urged MPs to participate in the walk and encouraged the Ministry of Health to organize similar events in areas with high malaria prevalence to educate and sensitize vulnerable communities.
MP Goefrey Mutiwa emphasized the importance of such initiatives in reducing malaria-related deaths and urged his fellow MPs to attend the walk in large numbers to raise awareness and prevent fatalities.
Hon. Naboth Namanya highlighted the importance of government intervention in distributing mosquito nets to all families for protection against malaria. He expressed concern over the limited distribution of nets and hoped that the walk would help mobilize efforts to eliminate malaria in Uganda.
Hon. Charles Bakkabulindi advocated for routine and research-based strategies, suggesting that MPs should engage in awareness-raising activities in their constituencies. He emphasized the importance of research in combating the persistent threat of malaria.
Hon. Nicholas Kamara pointed out the connection between socio-economic conditions and malaria prevalence, drawing parallels with Italy’s struggle against the disease. He stressed the need to improve living standards, housing, and environmental conditions to effectively combat malaria, noting that some people lack suitable conditions to even use mosquito nets.
