Lango leaders complain over Shs 50 bln cattle compensation cash

Leaders in the Lango sub-region have expressed concern over Shs 50 bln released by the government in the last financial year to compensate war claimants.

They accused the office of the Attorney General of foul play in the process of compensating the claimants in the Lango, Teso and Acholi sub-regions.

The government released Shs 50 bln in the last quarter of financial year 2020/2021 as part-payment for the 92,000 livestock claimants.

The animals were looted mostly by Karamojong warriors but some were slaughtered to feed soldiers of the then National Resistance Army (NRA) during the previous insurgency.

President Museveni launched the compensation payments in Soroti University in February, even though he claimed the animals were stolen during Milton Obote’s regime.

“He who leaves the bed last must arrange it. So the NRM has to arrange all these beds. The others who were in the bed left, so NRM has to settle these cases,” Museveni was quoted as saying.

Two months ago the Deputy Attorney General Jackson Kafuuzi said the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs had so far paid Shs 31 bln to some 15,149 claimants.

In the financial year 2021/2022, the government earmarked Shs 150 bln to compensate the claimants. Kafuuzi said already some Shs 50 bln has been released for 29 districts in the sub-region, with each district allocated Shs 1.7 bln.

But Alebtong LC V chairperson – leading all his peers in that area — said they are being kept in the dark.

He said some genuine claimants had been kept off the list and none had been paid as a result.

Other complaints raised were wrong account details, underpayment, dormant bank accounts among others.

Adam Makmot Kibwanga, a lawyer representing the Lango War Claimants Association, also cast a shadow over the entire operation.

He said he too, as lawyer for the claimants, had been kept in the dark despite the fact that it was a requirement by the office of the Attorney General to display the list of the beneficiaries and avail them with the copy.

“I am also questioning what is happening because a number of claimants checked in their bank account and found nothing,” he said.

“People are frustrated because some people slept in the bank for a week waiting for the money but ended up going back with zero,”Kibwanga said.