We are committed to compensate  war victims in Northern Uganda- Museveni

BY MIKE RWOTHOMIO

President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has assured people of Northern Uganda of  the Government’s commitment of  compensating  all war victims in the region.

People in northern Uganda underwent   unbearable sufferings in the hands of the  Lords Resistance Army Rebel spearheaded by Joseph Kony, who waged a brutal  insurgency from their bases in northern Ugandan and southern Sudan to dislodge President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni.

 The over two decades of ruthless and inhumane  insurgencies in the greater north  led to loss of lives and properties,  displacing  thousands of people .

 President  Museveni , whilst speaking during the first regional Parliamentary sitting at Kaunda Grounds in Gulu city on August 29, noted of the ever increasing  number of war victims, that is posing a big challenge to the compensation plan.

” I wanted us to have a dialogue what is the issue, I will call a meeting and we discuss with the MPs from the area plus the elders,  so that you can tell us” The President noted 

He added that ” Kafunzi said numbers keeps changing and some of the money was taken by lawyers , so many problems , but we are committed”

In the fiscal year 2022/23, Government budgeted for 30 billion shs  for the compensation of the war victims, which the office of the Attorney general never received. In 2023/24 financial year,  the office received 80 billion shs,  taking the average payment so far made  to 130 billion,  according to the Deputy Attorney general Jackson Kafunzi.

Kafunzi noted that what is slow- walking the compensation process is the ever increasing number of war victims in the region 

” The problem is the numbers keep increasing your excellency , we had estimated in our last paper to cabinet that if we are to do this execercise once, we would spent 2 trillion shillings and yet the initial pledge by the government was 150 billion,  that is equivalent of 50 billion per sub- region   for the three regions ,so the complains keep coming because fewer people received the money”  Kafunzi told the president and the MPs at the First Parliamentary regional sitting at Kaunda Grounds in Gulu city on August 29.

This is coming against the backdrop of repeated calls for the compensation of the war victims,  by most MPs from Northern Uganda.

The military ejected the rebels from the northern region in the mid-2000 .  The rebel leader, Joseph Kony, wanted by the ICC over charges of war crimes, is said to be  operating in the jungles of northeastern Democratic Republic of Congo and Central African Republic.

The regions of Acholi, Lango , West Nile were greatly affected by the insurgencies.

Government of Uganda over  the years were involved in  rehabilitation programme to restore the region’s economic and social infrastructure completely battered  by the war.

Using children as sex slaves and child soldiers,  slicing lips off victims to wring support from the local population or as punishment, abduction of  Women and civilians amongst others were some of the inhumane activities carried by the ruthless LRA rebel group for over two decades in the region.

The LRA rebel group was  formed in Uganda by Joseph Kony decades ago. Their believe was  to install a government based on the Biblical 10 Commandments.