Raila gets emotional in tribute to Moody Awori's late brother

Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga on Tuesday penned an emotional tribute to former ICT Minister Aggrey Awori.

The former minister passed away on Monday evening at the age of 82, a close friend Peter Oguttu confirmed.

The deceased is said to have passed away at a hospital in Naalya, Kampala.

"He has been sick for about a month and I have been in touch with him until today when his wife, Thelma told me that he has died," Mr Oguttu told reporters.

Former PM Odinga and his wife, Mama Ida Odinga, mourned the former Ugandan Presidential candidate as a long-time family friend.

In the letter addressed to Kenya's former Vice President Moody Awori, who is the late Aggrey's brother, the ODM party leader recalled instances where he and the late Awori had interacted.

"As a son of the region, Aggrey served both Kenya and Uganda equally. I recall that in his youth, he represented Uganda in the 1960 Rome Olympics as a sprinter. Back in Kenya, I had the honour to work with Aggrey at the University of Nairobi and witnessed him start the now famous School of Journalism from scratch. He had come back to his Kenyan roots when Uganda became too hostile under Idi Amin's dictatorship.

"I recall with nostalgia the run up to our 2002 elections Aggrey was a presidential candidate in Uganda when you, Uncle Moody, was also gunning for joint opposition presidential ticket that eventually went to President Mwai Kibaki. In that single development, the family became a manifestation of the artificial nature of our borders," the statement by Raila read.

The deceased was once voted best MP in Uganda's sixth parliament when he served as the Samia-Bugwe North, Busia District between 2001 and 2006.

President Museveni appointed him Minister between 2009 and 2011 when he was replaced after a cabinet reshuffle.