Peter Otai: A Ugandan hero departed too soon

Feb 03, 2020

On the 8th day of May 1940, the family of the late Titus Iloot and Bessi Asano celebrated the birth of a lovely second born baby boy, Peter Otai but little did they know that on that day and to them, a Ugandan true hero had been born.

OTAI                   MUSEVENI            OBOTE

By George Okurapa

On Saturday, February 1, 2020, Peter Otai was laid to rest at his ancestral home in Oderai near Soroti. The funeral was full of pomp and dignity. What a fitting farewell to a true Ugandan hero!!

I thank President Museveni and the Government of Uganda for honouring our true hero, Peter Otai. I also want to thank President Museveni for his tribute to this great son of Teso and Uganda as contained in the speech that was delivered by the Prime Minister at the funeral.

As we continue to mourn this great man and gallant son of Uganda, I want to reflect on the life he lived and pay tribute to his courage and dedication to his country Uganda. He was my hero, mentor and a true friend. He cared about Uganda and treated every Ugandan as an equal. This is why hundreds and thousands paid tribute to him in London, UK and in Uganda as he was laid to rest.

On the 8th day of May 1940, the family of the late Titus Iloot and Bessi Asano celebrated the birth of a lovely second born baby boy, Peter Otai but little did they know that on that day and to them, a Ugandan true hero had been born.

As good parents, they natured him well and saw him excel in his education through Ngora Boys Primary School, Ngora High School, Busoga College Mwiri and Kings College Budo before joining the University of Reading in 1972 followed by Kings College London where he graduated with a Masters Degree in War Studies.

While pursuing his master's degree in War studies in the United Kingdom, Peter Otai was on a mission. He actively put into practice the knowledge he had acquired as a master's degree student in War studies and played a significant role in the liberation of Uganda from the dictatorship of Iddi Amin.

He was appointed Uganda's Ambassador to Ethiopia in 1979 and after the 1980 elections, President Milton Obote appointed him as the Minister of State for Defence, a position he served with dedication and expertise until the fall of the Obote government when he went to exile in the UK.

On Saturday, January 25, 2020, I was honoured to join hundreds of Ugandans who gathered in London UK to pay tribute to a fallen hero, Peter Otai before his body was flown to Uganda. The tributes were well-coordinated and delivered by leaders from Acholi, Busoga, Jopadhola, Lango, Teso and many other Ugandan communities in London.

The tributes from each of the leaders truly exemplified the greatness of this man. These tributes laid out the life of a corrupt-free man who dedicated his life to helping others. Speaking on behalf of the Acholi Community in London, Laroker P'Okot described Peter Otai as a legend who led a principle-centred life. He described Peter Otai as a lover of Peace and Justice for all and a genuine advocate for "One People, One Nation."

David Anyoti, a former cabinet colleague, in a tribute that was read on his behalf, described Peter Otai as an unsung hero who had to fight day and night for the noble causes of the African people and higher principles of humankind. He praised Peter Otai for the battles he fought for liberty, Social Justice and African self-becoming.

Okia Takan, a close friend to Peter Otai, in his tribute shared how in life, Peter Otai has always preached democracy. To Peter Otai, no country can function normally and peacefully without well established Democratic Institutions.

He shared how Peter Otai believed that authorities must be accountable to the people and Peter Otai preached this from the time he was perfect at King's College Budo. All other tributes from Ugandan community leaders in London reflected the same greatness of a man who had a caring heart and a passion for helping others.

Peter Otai was a friend and a hero to me and many others. When I fled to exile in 1987, he and Dr Apollo Milton Obote, played a key role in guiding my future. I was blessed to be very close to these two giant heroes of our country.

They offered me unmatched wisdom that shaped my life in exile and today as I live a relatively comfortable life in exile, I would not have done it without them. While Milton Obote, in my many conversations with him, encouraged me to study as soon as I got into exile, Peter Otai, in addition, preached to me the importance of living an honourable life on earth.

His belief was that while we are still alive, we should live honourably so that when our time is done on earth, the people we leave behind do not have to tell lies and make up praises in their tributes for the lives we lived.

True to his word, I was not surprised when I sat and listened to various tributes from leaders of the Ugandan Community in London UK and Canada as they bid farewell to Peter Otai, a Ugandan hero and a great asset that Uganda was lucky to have. He was an honourable man who lived an honourable life and taught us to be good people by living honourable lives.

Peter Otai died in London UK on January 1, 2020. He was married to Margaret Ibrek on March 8th, 1969 at St. Martins in the Field Church in London UK and they are blessed with three daughters, Debbie, Joanna and Elizabeth and a granddaughter Grace. May his soul rest in eternal peace!! AMEN!!

George Okurapa - Toronto Canada

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