Uganda is in mourning as it bids farewell to its inaugural beauty queen, long-serving legislator, and esteemed opposition leader, Cecilia Ogwal. At the age of 77, Ogwal lost her battle with cancer while undergoing treatment in India. Her demise on Thursday morning was confirmed by family sources and Anita Among, the Speaker of Uganda’s Parliament.
Mourners, including members of Parliament, opposition leaders, and business figures, gathered at her home in Bugolobi, a Kampala suburb, to pay their respects upon hearing the news of her passing.
Cecilia Ogwal achieved prominence by winning Uganda’s first beauty pageant in 1969. Transitioning into politics, she became the Member of Parliament for Lira in 1996 and later represented her home district, Dokolo, in northern Uganda. Recognized as the ‘Iron Lady,’ Ogwal earned this title for her unwavering advocacy for women’s rights and democratic principles during the crafting of Uganda’s Constitution in 1994.
Beyond her role in politics, Ogwal played a pivotal role in upholding the Uganda People’s Congress (UPC), a political party led by former president Milton Obote during his exile in Zambia. She emerged as a prominent face of the opposition when political parties faced a ban by President Yoweri Museveni during his guerrilla war against Obote’s government, eventually capturing power in 1986.
Laura Kanushu, Parliament’s representative for women with disabilities, expressed admiration for Ogwal, stating, “She is one of the women I have admired since I was a little girl because she is a lawyer, just like me, and very assertive and passionate about women’s rights.”
Ogwal’s tenure in Parliament was marked by her roles as a commissioner, opposition chief whip, committee chair, and a member of the Pan-African Parliament. Her performance at the continental level was acknowledged by her peers. Notably, she stood up for Uganda in the OACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly, taking a stand against global hesitations on homosexuality.
Deputy Speaker Thomas Tayebwa eulogized Ogwal, saying, “You were instrumental in guiding and shaping local leaders, as well as advocating for a just global agenda where the voice of the global south was heard, especially in the OACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly. Your remarkable contributions will forever be etched in the annals of history.”
