Oulanyah's wife speaks out: No sex for 8 months

By Vision Reporter

The embattled wife of the Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Lady Winnie Amoo Okot, has said she did her best to make her marriage to Jacob Oulanyah work to no avail.

Amoo, however, said she will respect her husband’s wish and let him proceed with the divorce. “I welcome it (divorce) because I need to rest from all the stress. I will give him his wish,” Amoo said in an email correspondence to the New Vision.

The New Vision Tuesday broke the story of a divorce petition number 49 of 2015, which Oulanyah, also Omoro County MP, filed in the family division of the High Court in Kampala on July 22.

Amoo confirmed seeing the petition. She, however, denied allegations of mistreatment of Oulanyah’s older children and causing him emotional distress. She instead said she was stressed because of the burden of taking care of the family alone in the US.

“When I went back to the US to complete my studies and get my citizenship, it was Oulanyah who opted for the children to study in the US since education was free there. He was struggling with huge fees of $18,000 (about sh66m) per annum at Heritage International School in Kampala,” Amoo said. 

According to an email exchange between Oulanyah and his wife on July 23, a day after he filed for divorce, Amoo lamented that she had done her best in ensuring their marriage works, but Oulanyah told his family ‘many things that were not true’ about the way she handled the children.

“I gave my all, I came to be and stay married to you my chosen one, I loved you with everything you stood for, I was proud to be part of you and I love the children God gave me freely to love, cherish and raise. I always wished to have many children,” reads part of the email she sent to Oulanyah.

On claims that she had denied Oulanyah conjugal rights since February, Amoo accused Oulanyah of deserting her in spite of all her attempts to be intimate with him

She said she even travelled to Uganda and stayed for two months, but that Oulanyah abandoned her, forcing her to go and live with her mother.

“I have been celibate since you left me in February because you are my husband and I have to wait for you to awaken my sexuality, and make love to me as always, as I vowed to you on January 19, 2013. I will honour that until our vow is officially broken,” she stated.

She also said Oulanyah is too attached to his deceased wife, making her an alien in her own house. “I asked him to wear his late wife’s clothes because he keeps them in our bedroom and in my closet. And he does not want me to say a thing about them.

Her jewellery is on the same dresser as mine, but I am not supposed to say anything about it,” Amoo said.Denis Odoi, a Kampalabased counsellor yesterday said Oulanyah’s attachment to his fi rst wife means he has not left his previous relationship. He said it could be affecting his current relationship especially, if she died suddenly.

“Oulanyah needs specialised counselling. I wish I had the clout. I would personally talk to him because the decision he is taking will not only hurt him and his wife, but also his children,” Odoi said.

He added that by filing for divorce Oulanyah is running away from a problem. “You do not divorce because  of emotional distress. The two have been living apart hence not got time to bond. It takes about three to seven years for people to adjust and bond in marriage,” he said.

Meanwhile, All Saints Cathedral, Nakasero Provost, Reverend Michael Mukhwana, condemned Oulanyah’s decision to file for divorce. “He is a Christian and a role model.

He should have exhausted all avenues, communicated and even sought counselling because a Christian marriage has no room for divorce,” Mukhwana said.

Oulanya’s wedding at the cathedral was presided over by the Archbishop of the Church of Uganda, Stanley Ntangali. Mukhwana also said that the reasons Oulanyah raised are not strong enough to warrant the dissolution of the marriage.

Pastor Nicholas Wafula, the founder of Deliverance Church, said the Protestant prayer notes that one should not enter marriage lightly.  “You cannot get married today and then fi le for divorce the next day.

 As a leader, Oulanyah should set an example for all not only in marriage, but all aspects as well,” he said.Father Dan Oyema of Lweza Parish Catholic Church said the Church’s position is that  once someone is married, it is for life.The Catholic Church does not recognise divorce, although Pope Francis recently hinted at relaxing that position.