Teso leaders ask Museveni to fulfil pledges
Affected. Teso war victims and claimants listen to their lawyer Richard Omongole, after a court session. Leaders in Teso Sub-region have asked President Museveni to fulfil his pledges to the people. FILE PHOTO
District leaders in Teso sub-region through the Ministry of Teso Affairs have appealed to President Museveni to fulfil his pledges to the sub-region.
President Museveni made most of the pledges between 2010 and 2015 when traversing the area for votes.
The leaders across the political, religious and cultural divide last Friday said the President should fulfil his promises in order to restore confidence in the people of Teso.
The Minister of Teso Affairs, Ms Agnes Akiror, in her document presented to the Office of the President, through the Prime Minister said the presidential pledges, if addressed, can bring about socio-economic transformation in the region.
“This can reverse the negative economic growth as stated by Uganda Bureau of Standards (UBOS) in the Uganda national household survey report, 2017, showing that the poverty levels had risen from 24 per cent to 41 per cent,” Ms Akiror said.
The pledges include Aleles Bridge that connects Ngora District to Pallisa through Agule Sub-county, construction of the BKK ferry connecting Bukungu in Kaberamaido District and Kagwara Landing Site in Serere.
Others are tarmacking of Tirinyi-Pallisa-Kumi road, Katine-Kalaki-Bululu-Kaberamaido road and finally the construction of a seed secondary school in Kumi District.
President Museveni also pledged to finance the construction of Shs1b Ateker palace.
The spokesperson of Iteso Cultural Union , Mr Jonathan Maraka, said the government through the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development pledged to release Shs200m annually for the construction of the palace but they have not received any money. “The ministry has challenged us to give a land title to proof ownership if we are to benefit,” he said.
The Kaberamaido LC5 chairperson, Mr Albert Ejoku, said: “We have now realised that whenever elections are near, soldiers come running around disguising in the name of verifying beneficiaries for payments and presidential pledges to be fulfilled, we hope this time round it will be taken seriously for implementation,” he said.
The mayor of Soroti Municipality, Mr Paul Omer, said compensation pledges for war victims should be priority.
When contacted the senior presidential press secretary, Mr Don Wanyama, said he was in a meeting and promised to get back to us but by press time he had not.
