The good, not-so-good at Oulanyah’s wedding

Deputy Speaker of Parliament Jacob Oulanyah ties the knot with Ladywinnie Amoo Okot at Munyonyo in Kampala on Saturday. The archbishop of the Church of Uganda, the Rt. Rev. Stanley Ntagali (C) was the main celebrant. Photo by Geoffrey Sseruyange

What you need to know:

Distinction. The classy wedding conducted by the shores of Lake Victoria was attended by high profile guests.

It is not unheard of, but indeed unusual, that a Church in the mould of All Saints Church will “move” to conduct a wedding at a place of the choosing of a couple.

But this is what happened when Deputy Speaker of Parliament Jacob Oulanyah tied the knot with Ladywinnie Amoo Okot, daughter of the former Pader Woman MP Santa Okot, at Speke Resort Munyonyo on Saturday.

Archbishop Stanley Ntagali, who took over the reins of the Church of Uganda only weeks ago, was on hand to accompany the flamboyant Omoro County MP back into holy matrimony, having lost his first wife in 2008.

Well-wishers lined the pathway into the makeshift Church by the lakeside to welcome Mr Oulanyah, who walked with a gait reminiscent of a conqueror, his moustache and stout figure ensuring that he could not be missed.
Not to play to the Ugandan script, the moustached Mr Oulanyah adorned a white jacket, black pants, his trademark bow-tie and a brown sash across the waist to boot.

As the couple exchanged vows, Mr Oulanyah’s shrill voice pierced the calm in the air while his wife’s feminine voice came out in a polished accent uncharacteristic of Uganda-bred women.

Marriage counsellors at work
DP President Norbert Mao was on hand to provide counsel: “By the time a marriage is two weeks old,” he said at the reception held in a 1000-seater marquee, “there are grounds for divorce.”

Here Mr Mao was only adding to the words of President Yoweri Museveni, who earlier at the church service had taken time to focus on the children from Mr Oulanyah’s first marriage.

Caressing the two stout adolescent boys, who dressed like dad, Mr Museveni congratulated Mr Oulanyah for bringing them up “powerfully”. The president implored Mrs Oulanyah to give as much care to the boys as she will to her own children. “Just add to the family, don’t subtract,” Mr Museveni told the bride, before delivering his gift in the form of “cows in an envelope”.

Party time
But Mr Museveni left shortly after the church service, skipping the merrymaking at the reception, where Mr Oulanyah was joined on the dance floor by Prime Minister Amama Mbabazi.

Mr Mbabazi had moments earlier provided photographers with a rare photo-op when he heavily embraced Speaker Rebecca Kadaga as she made her way to the reception.