- SAYS THE LATE NURTURED A NUMBER OF TEACHERS IN TESO SUBREGION AND PROMOTED GIRL CHILD EDUCATION
Vice President Maj. Jessica Alupo has paid tribute to the late Constantino Etukoit, a senior educationist in Katakwi district who passed away last Friday.
Etukoit was a famous educationist who even taught the vice president’s mother who’s now a retired midwife.
Aged 97 years, Etukoit died at his home in Katakwi Town Council after years of battling with Diabetes, mild blood pressure and other related illnesses since 2011.
According to the late’s son, Michael Elamaridi his condition worsened in 2016 when he got crippled.
Addressing mourners at the burial ceremony Alupo who is also the Katakwi district Woman Member of Parliament, described Etukoit as a professional, administrator and a parent who nurtured a number of teachers and school proprietors within Teso sub region.
“The person you see laying there educated my mother at a time when education of the girl child was unheard of. He picked her from cattle grazing and took her to school. That’s the person we have all come to bury and if it wasn’t for him, I wouldn’t be what I am today,” Alupo said with tears almost rolling down her cheeks.
The VP, whose mother is a retired midwife and was recently awarded by the Ministry of Health for her outstanding and dedicated service to humanity attended Etukoit’s burial and also delivered H.E Gen. Yoweri Museveni’s Shs10m as condolences.
She eulogized the late as a very principled and brilliant administrator who taught and closely worked with her dad George William Epel [RIP] who was also an educationist.
“The deceased peacefully handed over the headmastership of Apuuton Primary School to my father. That’s how close they were,” Alupo who herself is an old girl of the same school told mourners.
She recounted her regular visits to the late, saying she; and the children of Etukoit would gather berries and guavas from nearby gardens.
The vice president, who worked very hard to ensure that Etukoit gets his pension also told mourners that she’s a product of Etukoit and called upon parents to educate their children without discrimination.
About security, Alupo assured mourners of the government’s commitment to end cattle raids perpetrated by Karamojong cattle rustlers and appealed to locals to remain calm as the government addresses the isolated pockets of armed cattle rustling.
“I also want to implore our people to embrace the Parish Development Model. This is a government approach for organizing and delivering public and private sector interventions for wealth creation and employment generation at the parish level as the lowest economic planning unit. The program will ensure support for more Ugandans to increase their demand for goods and services” she said adding that President Museveni is still around come 2026 and beyond and therefore, asked them to continue supporting the ruling party.
Etukoit taught in Apuuton primary school, Obulengorok Primary school, Amoruongora primary school and Adacar primary school where he retired in 1986. He is survived by three wives and 13 children.
His son Elamaridi described his dad as a very principled man, yet very patient and understanding in character adding that he had lost an irreplaceable role model.
The burial was attended by hundreds of mourners MPs from Katakwi district with Toroma County MP, Joseph Andrew Koluo describing the late Etukoit as a very humble man who loved education.
“His death is a very big loss to the education sector” Kuluo said while different head teachers described Etukoit as a hardworking and intelligent man who offered all he could to ensure that he fulfills his dream of promoting education in Katakwi district and beyond.
