Tororo victims of Lakwena war want compensation
TORORO– Local leaders in Tororo district have asked the government to compensate families that lost property and relatives in the 1980s as a result of the war orchestrated by the late Alice Lakwena, the leader of the Holy Spirit Movement.
The leaders made their call before the minister of state for Northern Uganda Grace Freedom Kwiyucwiny who was in the district to deliver 380 pieces of iron sheets from the Office of the Prime Minister towards the refurbishment of dilapidated Muwafu primary school in Nabuyoga town council.
The donation is said to be part of the pledges that President Museveni made in 2019 when the school hosted the liberation day.
Julius Oketcho, the district councilor representing Nabuyoga town council in Tororo district council, commended President Museveni for fulfilling his pledge but reiterated the need to compensate the war-affected households that lost their property during the war.
“We appreciate the support Mr. Museveni has extended to the school but we are still unhappy that people who lost property and relatives have never been compensated yet war victims in other areas of the country have been compensated,” he said.
He said war veterans’ medals given to them has no impact considering the magnitude of the loss they suffered.
He named some of the affected sub-counties being; Nabuyoga, Paya, Kirewa, Mulanda, Iyolwa sub-counties and Nabuyoga town council.
Charles Okello Mwera, the LC3 chairperson of Nabuyoga Sub County said it was unfair for the government to be compensating other people who suffered the effects of the same war in other regions and leaving out others.
He said the government ought to take responsibility for failing to protect its citizens from the rebellion.
However, Minister Kwiyucwiny apologised for the delay by the government to effect compensation for the war victims and attributed it to limited resources.
She said the government has all inventories on adverse insurgencies across the country.
The minister urged the leaders to encourage their people not to lose hope, saying their demands will be worked on by government.
“Very soon your demands will be addressed. I advise you to embrace existing government programmes put in place to improve food security and household income,s especially the Parish Development Model,” she said.
The minister of State for Defense and Veterans Affairs, Jacob Oboth Oboth, thanked the government for coming to the rescue of the school.
‘’Now that the school’s outlook is expected to be improved, the government now expects even the academic performance to improve, otherwise, it will look meaningless if the school continues to perform poorly’’ Oboth Oboth who is also the Budama Central area Member of Parliament,” he said.
https://thecooperator.news/cattle-compensation-exercise-on-going-in-affected-districts/
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