Govt explains piecemeal payments to war claimants

The Attorney General has explained why Teso war claimants are not receiving their full compensation at ago as agreed with the government.

 Mr Kiwanuka Kiryowa in a telephone interview on Saturday said the war claimants are being paid piecemeal because of the available resource envelope.

He added that the claimants who have received little pay will receive more in the subsequent financial years

“The payment will only be stopped when their claims are fully covered,” Mr Kiryowa explained.

The President launched the compensation process in February with a start-up pay kit of Shs50 billion for Teso, Lango and Acholi sub-regions.

However, some of the beneficiaries say it is meagre.

 But Mr Kiryowa said initially they had anticipated to have a similar amount of shs50b pay kit for the next financial year but the money has been cut to Shs30b.

  “But we shall not stop there, we shall go back to Parliament to ask for more money,” he said.

Mr Gilbert Olanya, the MP for Kilak South, said war claimants are being paid as little as between Shs300,000 and Shs500,000.

“The sad reality is that our parents who registered 15 years ago are toiling to see the real compensation process come to life,” he said.

Queries

Mr Daniel Egoriat Edepu, a resident of Akoboi Village in Olio Sub-county, Serere District, said he has so far been paid Shs900,000 as compensation for the11 cows he lost.

“The agreed on price for every animal was Shs1.2m, they are now paying us Shs100, 000 for every animal, I think there must be some malice being done somewhere, this must be investigated,” he explained.

 Mr Geresem Eyimu, 82, said he has only been paid Shs5.4m for the 65 head of cattle he lost.

“I lodged my complaints to the government, the army officials came to verify my claims of the 65 heads of cattle,” he said.

 The three sub-regions are demanding for compensation as result of losses they incurred as result of the political upheavals between 1986 and 2003.

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