Former Allied Democratic Forces-ADF
rebels in Rwenzori Region have asked government to extend financial support to
them so that they can speed up their economic development.
The ex-rebels say the war greatly affected their economic
lives and therefore they cannot rebuild themselves on their own.
Even though government has been
skilling these ex-combatants, they told URN that they lack money to
establish their own projects.
Government also gave them 263,000 Shillings
as a resettlement package on top of the skills training to help them in reintegration processes within the
community.
Ithungu Mereki from Karangura,
Bunyangabu District says she doesn’t have money to re-establish herself after
she abandoned the arms.Though Mereki was trained in
tailoring she was unable to buy a sewing machine or find someone to employ her.
She wants government to buy tools for
the ex-combatants so that they can put their skills to use and start to earn.
//Cue in: Tetuyithe sente…
Cue out: …Nerikrye kwe.”//
Abubakur Kule from Kisinga in Kasese
District he attained training in carpentry and joinery but he has also lacked
the money to buy start-up kits.
Kule who received 260,000 as a
package when he surrendered to the Amnesty commission says the money was too
little to be invested in any productive venture especially after living the
bush. His plea is for government to give him capital so that they can establish a businesses.
//Cue in: “Wakiire batuwe ku byoma…
Cue out: …mubyalo gwe tubera.”//
Katusabe Abdu Kyalimpa another former
rebel from Bundibugyo District says they have been requesting government to
support them with startup capital and kits but in vein.
He also says that the rehabilitation program
has been invaded by self-seekers who have introduced in their own persons who
were not part of the ADF bush war.
Kule reasons that the high numbers of reporters could have stretched the government’s resources and thus made made it unable to support them
beyond training.
//Cue in: “Bwetyavavo batusomesa…
//Cue out: …etuweyo entandikya.”//
Lubwisi
//Cue in: “Tukusaba government
etuyambe…
Cue out: …tutandikila la.”//
Patrick Baluku from Ntoroko District
has lacked land to start brick-making projects.
He also wants government to
support reporters' SACCOs so that they can be in position to borrow from within
their communities.
//Cue in: “Tusaba Government
wandibade…
Cue in: …nga tebitutyala mumaso.”//
Yusuf Muhindo says he received hand hoes
and seeds in 2002 yet he didn’t have any land. He later gave the items to a neighbour.
If he had got money, Muhindo would have hired land for cultivation.
Christine Muhindo the senior presidential advisor on Rwenzori affairs however says government
is committed to support the ex-rebels beyond skilling phase.
For instance, she told URN that government
is planning to give some capital to the last cohort trained in brick laying.
//Cue in: “Government has been…
Cue out: …they will be helped.”//
On Thursday former ADF rebels completed a three day training in technology and skills development.
The training initiated by the Amnesty Commission was held in Kasese District.
Participants came from Kasese, Bundibugyo, Bunyangabu and Ntoroko.
