Maj Ruranga appointed to head veterans Aids project
Maj Rubaramira Ruranga. Photo by RACHEL MABALA
What you need to know:
He was appointed to mobilise veterans through income generating projects.
Nakaseke
Former opposition FDC party electoral commission chairperson Rubaramira Ruranga has been appointed to head the Veterans Aids awareness department under the Veterans Poverty Eradication Programme launched recently by President Museveni.
According to Gen Salim Saleh, the overall coordinator of the army veterans’ programme, Maj Ruranga who has been a long time HIV/Aids activist was appointed by the President. The Veterans Poverty Eradication programme is intended to mobilise veterans in the former war zones through income generating projects aimed at eradicating poverty.
“I recently received a communication from my boss (President Museveni) to work with Rubaramira Ruranga who will be in charge of the Aids awareness department in our poverty eradication programme for the veterans. You may know Rubaramira as a devoted Aids activist,” Gen Saleh told Nakaseke residents while officiating at the District NRM Day celebrations at Kapeeka Sub-county on Thursday.
Gen Saleh also launched a nutrition campaign where veterans under his command are to manufacture food supplements.
He blamed government departments for failing to promote the use of food supplements and only encouraging the use of medicine to treat diseases and malnutrition.
“We must encourage the use of food supplements which are rich in vitamins among other food values. We are going to manufacture these food supplements in Nakaseke. The project has already started and is part of the industrial park which President Museveni is coming to launch on February 17,” Gen Saleh said.
He said the veterans will soon be able to produce more than 50,000 tonnes of maize in the next season to supply both the UPDF and the Uganda Police Force.
He, however, blamed the veterans for failing to keep records which is the major reason they continue to face challenges in managing their programmes. Gen Saleh cautioned politicians against early campaigns in Nakaseke District which he said could easily disrupt the industrial park.
The background
In October last year, Maj Rubaramira Ruranga crossed from FDC to the ruling NRM. Upon his defection he said NRM is the only political party that has got a clear agenda in the fight against HIV/Aids. He also said before crossing over, he thought about the increasing HIV/Aids rates in the country and how he would contribute to the fight.
