Parliament on Wednesday convened a special plenary sitting to pay tribute to the late Stella Apolot Isodo, the former Ngora District Woman Member of Parliament, who died on January 17 aged 51 following a brief illness.
The sitting, which began at 2pm at the Parliament building, followed the arrival of Isodo’s body at 10am, in line with the Order Paper issued by Parliament’s Directorate of Communications and Public Affairs. Such sessions are provided for under Rules 47 and 50 of the Rules of Procedure of Parliament (2012, as amended), which allow special motions to honour deceased or former members who served with distinction.
Speaker Anita Among earlier announced the arrangements on her X account, noting that Parliament would accord Isodo full honours despite the fact that she was not a sitting member at the time of her death. She, together with Deputy Speaker Thomas Tayebwa and other legislators, received Isodo’s casket at Parliament.
Isodo, a senior member of the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC), represented Ngora District in the 11th Parliament (2021–2026). During her tenure, she was known as a vocal advocate for women’s rights and development issues in eastern Uganda. However, her bid for re-election in the January 15 general election was disrupted by deteriorating health that limited her ability to campaign.
In the closely contested race, the Ngora District Woman MP seat was won by National Resistance Movement (NRM) candidate Josephine Pedun with 17,010 votes. Democratic Party-backed Christine Abeja came second with 12,152 votes, while Isodo finished third with 11,334 votes. She passed away just days after the Electoral Commission announced the results, amid a broader national debate over the conduct of the polls, including concerns about low voter turnout and technical challenges with biometric systems.
Paying tribute, Deputy Speaker Tayebwa described Isodo as “a humble soul who smiled at everyone in the corridors of Parliament,” adding, “May her soul rest in eternal peace.”
The motion to adopt Parliament’s resolution was moved by the Prime Minister, who is also the Leader of Government Business, and seconded by the Leader of Opposition, alongside representatives of independent legislators. Parliamentary officials said the cross-party sponsorship of the motion reflected the non-partisan nature of such tributes.
Isodo died at Kampala Hospital while awaiting surgery. Her passing adds to a growing list of lawmakers who died during or shortly after the 11th Parliament, a period marked by political turbulence and health challenges. Among those lost in recent years are former Speaker Jacob Oulanyah, former State Minister for Defence Sarah Mateke, former minister Charles Engola, Kawempe North MP Muhammad Ssegirinya, Cecilia Ogwal, and Patrick Okabe.
Under Article 83 of the 1995 Constitution, the death of a sitting MP creates a vacancy to be filled through a by-election within six months. However, since Isodo had already lost her seat in the recent elections, no vacancy arises, and the special sitting was held purely to honour her public service.
With women occupying about 34 per cent of parliamentary seats under Uganda’s affirmative action framework, Isodo’s career was cited by several speakers as a reminder of both the gains made and the challenges that persist for women in the country’s male-dominated political arena.
Her burial is expected to take place in Ngora District, with funeral events likely to attract leaders from across the political divide, reflecting the respect she commanded beyond party lines.
