In a beautiful statement, South African Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma remembered the life and mourned the death of fallen UPDF General Julius Facki Oketta.
In a statement, the Chairperson of the African Union Commission said:
“Deeply saddened by the news of the untimely death of Gen. Julius Oketta, who headed African Union’s Mission to fight against Ebola. It’s shocking.
Gen. Julius Oketta was a champion in the fight against Ebola, in Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia in 2014.
Gen. Oketta headed the ASEOWA mission with the 855 civilian and military Health Volunteers who soldiered the fight against Ebola.
Africa remains truly indebted to Gen. Oketta, and was pleased that the African Union recognised him, on the margin of the AU Summit in January 2016.
We join Gen. Oketta’s family, the government and people of Uganda to mourn his death and also to celebrate and pay homage for his selfless services.
In September 2014, Gen Oketta was nominated to join the African Union-led humanitarian mission to address the threat of the Ebola virus to the continent.
The mission code-named Africa Union Support to Ebola Outbreak in West Africa (ASEOWA) is based in Ethiopia.
Gen Oketta was awarded a medal of honor by the President of Liberia for his role in the fight against Ebola which claimed hundreds of lives in West Africa last year.
MPs eulogize Gen. Oketta
The body of the fallen UPDF General Julius Facki Oketta on Monday lay in state in the Parliament foyer where Members of Parliament and the public paid their last respects. He represented Uganda People’s Defense Force (UPDF) in the 9th Parliament.
Gen. Oketta’s body was received into the parliament building by the Deputy Speaker of Parliament Jacob Oulanyah together with the First Deputy Prime Minister Gen Moses Ali, Leader of Opposition Winnie Kizza and others.
Until his death last week, Gen. Oketta was the deputy coordinator Operation Wealth Creation.
He also served as the Director National Emergency Coordination and Operations in the office of the Prime Minister.
