Minister tells veterans to stop asking govt for compensation
State Minister for Luweero Triangle, Ms Alice Kaboyo. PHOTO | COURTESY
What you need to know:
- Ms Kaboyo said the reason why they (veterans) joined the struggle was to remove the then bad regimes and since they have achieved this, there should not be any compensation demands.
The State Minister for Luweero Triangle, Ms Alice Kaboyo, has asked Bush War veterans to stop asking the government for compensation.
Ms Kaboyo made the remark while meeting veterans and National Resistance Movement (NRM) mobilisers from Kiruhura, Ibanda, Mbarara, and Kyegegwa districts on Sunday.
She said the reason why they joined the struggle was to remove the then bad regimes and since they have achieved this, there should not be any compensation demands.
“You already got the price of what you sacrificed for, you made the sacrifice of fighting a bad government and you succeeded 36 years ago. It is the peace you are enjoying now. Use the peace to engage in development and prosper. Stop bothering government with compensation,” Ms Kaboyo said.
Minister Kaboyo said what the government can help the veterans with is ensuring that their children are recruited into armed forces if they are interested.
“President Museveni instructed me to look for sons and daughters of the civilian veterans who want to join forces - police and army - and help them. I have a team already handling this and if the programme for recruitment is out, approach us. We will make sure your sons and daughters are not left out,” Ms Kaboyo said.
Compensation
She added: “We have been visiting the homes of these civilian veterans assessing their way of living and supporting them. We have for example spent Shs588m to support some of the families of civilian veterans in Ibanda District.”
This followed a call from a section of veterans, who claimed to have been neglected after their contribution in the war that brought President Museveni to power in 1986.
The coordinator of Operation Wealth Creation in Ibanda District, Lt Charles Bataringaya, said: “Some of the challenges the country and NRM party faces could be better addressed if these civilian veterans were deployed, like in mobilising communities for support and embracing government programmes, but they have been left behind.”
Capt John Mugisha of Twaweza, an NRM mobilisation volunteer group, said: “We have no Opposition in Uganda but disgruntled members of NRM who include those that contributed to the NRM struggle to come to power. We need to be supported to talk and bring back these members.”
Mr John Kazoora Rwakanengyere, a civilian veteran from Ibanda Municipality and coordinator of the Local Defence Units (LDUs) in Ibanda District said: “The contribution and sacrifices made by people including our parents need to be recognised, some of our parents died without being appreciated for the sacrifices made.
