Minister urges Kichwamba massacre survivors to form own SACCO

KABAROLE – The State Minister for Local Government, Victoria Businge Rusoke has told the Kichwamba massacre survivors to form a Savings and Credit Cooperative [SACCO] in order to get quick funding from government to fight poverty in their households.

On June 8, 1998, the Allied Democratic Forces [ADF] attacked Uganda Technical College Kichwamba in Kabarole district burning 80 students in three dormitories to death and abducting more than 100.

Following the attack on the college, government promised to compensate the survivors and their parents, but 24 years later, the parents and caretakers of the survivors are yet to receive their compensation.

Rusoke who also doubles as the Kabarole District Woman Member of Parliament however advised the survivors and their parents to form a SACCO so that government supports them as an organized group.

“Compensation is not easy because there is no value that is equivalent to a human being. I would wish to focus on promoting your livelihood, I, therefore, advise you to form a SACCO with clear reasons to make it easy for government to support you than waiting for compensation,” she said.

She said this on Friday during the memorial prayers for those who lost their lives during the attack by the ADF at Uganda Technical College Kichwamba in Kabarole district.

She said it is easier for government to support people who are organized in associations than to compensate the individual lives lost during ADF attacks.

“There is a motion in parliament about compensating for lives lost to attacks by ADF and during wars but people are very many and compensation is not easy,” she said.

Rusoke said government has not forgotten the lives lost during the Kichwamba attacks but that it first focused on putting back the college.

She however noted that there is a need to be extra conscious in order not to give ADF a chance to attack again.

The Archbishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Gulu, His Grace John Baptist Odama who led memorial prayers at the college called on for peace and forgiveness amongst Christians.

Bishop  Odama said the known causes of conflicts are; struggle for power, resources, ethnicity, religion, and ego and called upon Christians to avoid such acts for peace to prevail.

“It was not easy to return peace in Northern Uganda but everyone played a big role in advocating for peace in the region. Defeating Kony was not easy but we played a big role as religious leaders, supported government and it’s the peace we are now enjoying in Northern Uganda,” he said.

He challenged Christians to love one another and accept one another as God taught us.

The commander of Operation Shujja who doubles as the Commander Mountain Division, Maj.Gen.Kayanja Muhanga assured the general public that Uganda People’s Defense Forces [UPDF] now has the capacity to defeat ADF unlike in the past.

“It took us five years to defeat ADF terrorists in the mountains because we had not gained the capacity to defeat them. That’s why it took us many years to defeat Kony,” Muhanga said.

He said since November last year when a joint Operation of Shujja commenced in Eastern DR Congo, many of the rebel camps have been captured and a good number of rebels have been killed and their weapons captured.

He said they have managed to cut off their networks in Uganda and some of their leaders have been captured.

“The problem of rebels in Eastern DR Congo is not only for Uganda but it’s a regional issue. What happened in the past was a disgusting situation but we are now in control,” he said.

He said UPDF is ready to restore peace in DR Congo and they are seeing progress.

Background

On June 8, 1998, ADF rebels raided Uganda Technical College Kichwamba in Kabarole district, burnt 80 students in three dormitories, and abducted more than 100.

The rebels locked students in their dormitories and set them on fire. 27 students who were burnt beyond recognition were buried in a mass grave inside the college and the grave bears all their names.

The ADF rebels allegedly commanded by Jamil Mukulu massacred the innocent students. Mukulu has since been arrested and abducted by the Ugandan government.

https://thecooperator.news/muslims-in-uganda-urged-to-form-saccos/

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