A section of lawmakers have paid glowing tribute to the late Stella Apolot Isodo, remembering her as an all-embracing, supportive and selfless legislator who transcended political party lines.
Isodo, who passed away on Saturday, January 17, 2026, served as the Woman Member of Parliament for Ngora District on the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) ticket.
Her seat has since been won by National Resistance Movement (NRM) flag bearer Josephine Pedun, who garnered 17,010 votes in the parliamentary polls held on the same day.
Colleagues who served with Isodo in the 11th Parliament described her death as a big loss to the House, citing her immense contribution to legislative work and mentorship of younger MPs.
NRM Parliamentary Caucus spokesperson Alex Brandon Kintu (Kagoma North) said Isodo played a critical role in shaping young legislators and promoting cooperation across party divides.
“She was a senior legislator and I personally learned a lot from her as a junior Member of Parliament. She worked across political affiliations and was very collaborative,” Kintu said.
“She supported me financially during two fundraising activities in my constituency, and I also supported her activities in Ngora. She was a serious Member of Parliament, a mother and a committed Christian. We shall dearly miss her.”
Similarly, Uganda Women Parliamentary Association (UWOPA) chairperson Sarah Opendi praised Isodo’s generosity, reliability and cooperative spirit.
“She was very quiet in the House, but outside the Chamber she was a completely different person,” said Opendi, who is also the Woman MP for Tororo District.
“She was very reliable. Whenever UWOPA had activities and you called her on short notice, she would show up. Even though she belonged to FDC, she freely interacted with colleagues from all parties.”
During a special sitting of Parliament chaired by Speaker Anita Among, the State Minister for Agriculture (in charge of Fisheries), Hellen Adoa, moved a motion for Parliament to pay tribute to the late legislator.
Adoa described Isodo as a distinguished leader who used her position to champion economic transformation, women empowerment and the welfare of the girl child.
“Stella Apolot Isodo served her nation with unwavering commitment and diligently represented Ngora District from 2022 until her death,” Adoa, who also represents Serere District as Woman MP, said.
“She was a strong promoter of unity and socio-economic transformation, particularly in the Teso sub-region, and consistently built consensus on key national priorities.”
Adoa further noted that Isodo earned recognition for championing women’s rights through initiatives promoting financial inclusion, self-reliance among rural women farmers, and girl-child education.
Speaker Anita Among later directed the Minister to ensure that Isodo’s passion for agriculture and women empowerment is honoured through government support aimed at transitioning women from subsistence to modern agriculture.
“As someone who loved agriculture, Hon. Adoa, we should remember Hon. Isodo’s legacy by ensuring women move away from subsistence agriculture to modern agriculture,” Speaker Among directed.
