Minister Dr. Stephen Malinga is dead

By Vision Reporter

PALLISA district - The Minister of Disaster Preparedness, Dr Stephen Malinga has died, aged 69, in Pallisa district.

The minister is reported to have breathed his last on Thursday night at his home in eastern Uganda.

He is said to have collapsed at his residence but more details surrounding his demise are yet to be established.

Malinga was appointed Minister Of Disaster Preparedness on 27 May 2011. He replaced Tarsis Kabwegyere, who was transferred to the General Duties portfolio in the Office of the Prime Minister. He was also the elected Member of Parliament (MP), representing the Butebo County Constituency, Pallisa District.

He held the Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBChB) degree from Makerere University, back when it was still part of the University of East Africa.

The 69-year-old minister was a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons (FACS), specializing in Obstetrics and Gynecology. He was also a Fellow of the International College of Surgeons (FICS).

Between 1973 and 1977, Malinga served as a Consultant at Cook County Hospital, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America. From 1978 until 1985, he served as the Chairperson, in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Jackson Park Hospital, Chicago, Illinois, USA.

He then served as a consultant at Ingalls Memorial Hospital, in Harvey, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago. In 1996, Dr. Mallinga returned to Uganda and entered politics.

Malinga also served as Uganda's Minister of Health from 2006 until 2011, when he was assigned to his present position.