Father Simon Lokodo is dead. Kitalo! News coming from Geneva, Switzerland states that former minister for Ethics and Integrity, Father Simon Lokodo has passed on.
It is said that Hon. Lokodo collapsed after a presentation on Thursday. He was rushed to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) where he was gven immediate medical attention and later he stabilised by yesterday evening and even removed from oxygen. The deceased breathed his last this morning.
Rev. Fr. Simon Lokodo, has been the former State Minister for Ethics and Integrity. His death has been confined by government spokesperson Ofwono Opondo on Saturday morning.
According to Uganda Human Right Commission, Fr. Simon Lokodo passed on Saturday morning in Geneva, Switzerland.
“It’s with great shock and pain that we‘ve learnt of the passing of our Honourable Member of the Commission, Fr. Simon Lokodo. He passed on this morning in Geneva, Switzerland. The Commission will share details in due course,” the Uganda Human Rights Commission wrote on Twitter.
Fr. Lokodo served as Minister of State for Ethics & Integrity in the Office of the President of Uganda since 2011.
Previously he was the Minister of State for Industry from 2009 to 2011.
He also served as Member of Parliament representing Dodoth County, Kaabong District since 2006 until 2021.
He was born in Kaabong District on 28 October 1957. Simon Lokodo holds the degree of Bachelor of Arts in Theology from the Pontifical Urbaniana University. His Master of Arts in Theology was also obtained from the same university of Rome.
He also holds the Diploma in Rural Sociology, the Diploma in Social Communication, the Diploma in Philosophy & Social Science and the Certificate in Italian Language.
He obtained his Diploma in Theology, from Makerere University, Uganda’s oldest university; founded in 1922. Lokodo also holds a Certificate in German Language obtained from an institution in Austria and a Certificate in French Language, obtained from an institution in Paris, France.
Before entering politics, he was the parish priest for Kaabong Parish in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Kotido.
At the age of 49, Lokodo first entered politics to contest a special election on 29 June 2006, following the death of the incumbent member of parliament.
He was ex-communicated from the Catholic Church by Pope Benedict XVI when he entered politics.
He won the special election and began representing Dodoth County, Kaabong District, in the parliament.
In February 2009, he was appointed to the cabinet as the Minister of State for Industry & Technology.[6] In the cabinet reshuffle of 27 May 2011, he was relocated to the Ethics & Integrity portfolio, replacing Nsaba Buturo.
In the cabinet reshuffle of 1 March 2015, he retained his cabinet post.
He is well known for challenging homosexuality in all forms. In 2012, he and the police raided and shut down a gay activist workshop. He was quoted as saying, “I have closed this conference because it’s illegal. We do not accept homosexuality in Uganda.” He also blamed foreigners, saying they should “go back home”. Amnesty International condemned the raid.
In 2014, Stephen Fry interviewed Lokodo in Stephen Fry: Out There, where he was quoted as saying “…men raping girls. Which is natural.”
Fry later revealed in 2016 that he had tried to commit suicide in the hours after the interview.
In February 2014, dress code legislation was enacted, aimed primarily at women. Clothes that are considered revealing or sexually provocative were to be outlawed; “If you dress in such a way that you irritate the mind and excite the people then you are badly dressed; if you draw the attention of the other person outside there with a malicious purpose of exciting and stimulating him or her into sex,” Lokodo stated.
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