Court sets date for hearing ex-militia case
Members of the defunct Amuka Militia in Lira Town recently. Photo by Hudson Apunyo
Lira.
The High Court in Lira has fixed February 26 as the date for commencement of the hearing of a case where former Amuka Militia members are seeking compensation for their services to the government.
A group of 5,439 former Amuka Militia, an auxiliary force which aided the UPDF in its fight against LRA rebels in Lango sub-region, sued the Attorney General, saying they were not given compensation packages the government had promised them.
The Attorney General had earlier said the government had no binding agreement with the former militia members and that they were therefore not entitled to any compensation.
The previous Lira Resident Judge Simon Byabakama Mugenyi, however, ruled that the former militia members have a cause of action since the government recruited, trained and armed them to fight LRA rebels.
The new Lira Resident Judge Winifred Nabisinde, who took over the case, ruled that it can continue so long as there is evidence. The judge asked the former militia to choose three persons among themselves to represent them in court.
