Joyce Namugambe
The war victims and survivors in the country have called upon government to fulfill the pledges made to them as a way of compensating and appreciating their efforts towards the country’s wellbeing. They mentioned this during the celebration of the international day of peace in Rwenzori region.
According the their statement, victims of Rwenzori, Acholi west Nile in greater North through the Rwenzori forum for peace and justice foundation, they appreciated the president of Uganda for fulfilling some of the pledges it made to the survivors, but although it constructed tertiary institutions and secondary schools, they still cannot afford the schools thereby asking government to put up a bursary system for the victims of the survivors children so they can get a chance to acquire education.
They asked government to make sure that it works towards bringing back their brothers and sisters in Luwero and northern region, who are still in enemy territories so that they return to their families.
However, they appealed to government to work with relevant stake holders to enact the National transitional justice law policy into a law and give victims more support and attention so that they can feel appreciated.
Speaking to the people who gathered for the celebrations at Tooro Botanical gardens in Fort portal tourism city, the state minister in the prime minister’s office for Luwero triangle and Rwenzori region Hon Alice Kaboyo noted that government still has plans of compensating more victims and survivors as it has been doing only that the process was paused due to the challenges that were noticed but they are being worked on.
She added that the government has plans to compensate the 23 families in Kicwamba for the lives of children who were killed and it is yet to continue supporting and helping them through giving them education and organise them to benefit in the government programs such as emyooga, PDM and others. She promised them to look into the National transitional justice policy for her to get more familiar with it.
The RDC for Tooro commended the Rwenzori forum for peace and justice for fostering peace in the region especially in the issues concerning women, youth and children and pledged to work with them in fostering peaceful environment.
She asked them to work together for peaceful environment starting with our families and the societies they live in. She added that working together with local council to resolve conflicts in the societies will help to foster peaceful environments.
The area MP for Fort portal Sylvia showed concern over her efforts to ask for the compensation of ADF victims but until now they have not been compensated, thereby requesting the minister to join her in this fight.
