A total of 1,463 war debt claimants in the district were verified in the exercise to ascertain details of claimants and properties lost as the government moves to start compensation.
A section of war debt claimants in Kitgum District has raised
concern about the reduction in the numbers of cattle they lost in past
insurgencies in the region.
The concerns come as the Justice Ministry recently released updated details of
claimants following the completion of a verification exercise conducted between
December and January this year.
A total of 1,463 war debt claimants in the district were verified in the exercise
to ascertain details of claimants and properties lost as the government moves
to start compensation.
The new verified lists of war debt claimants were recently
displayed at various Sub-county headquarters in the region.
However, some of the claimants alleged that the verified numbers of animals are
less than what they lost and ought to be compensated for.
Celestino Odong, a resident of Lemo East Ward in Pager Division says he has
since 2008 been chasing compensation from the government for 50 cattle looted
by Karimojong warriors in the late 1980s.
He however says the lists that were displayed recently after verification
indicates he owned only 17 cattle. Odong wonders why 33 animals have been
slashed off his compensation benefits.
Luo Byte
//Cue in: “Acito a nongo…
Cue out:…apongo dyangi pyerabic."//
Santa Boroboro, a resident of Pagen Central village in Labongo Layamo
sub-county says her family lost 170 cattle and notes that the figures had
earlier been verified by the government.
According to Boroboro, she had also received part of her compensation of One Million
Shillings but was shocked to discover recently that she is only entitled to be
compensated for 55 animals.
Luo byte
//cue in: “An apongo dyang…
Cue out:…miya pyerabiro ni.”/
Solomon Ochola, another war debt claimant who lost 68 cattle and 32 goats from
Bunyang village in Pajimo Parish, Labongo Akwang Sub-county after a raid by
Karimojong warriors in the 1980s equally shares a similar plight.
Ochola says he recently found that only 58 cattle instead of 68 heads of cattle
had been captured on the new verified lists of claimants in the district.
Close to 40 war debt claimants on Monday camped at the district Local
Government headquarters demanding answers following a failed meeting with the
compensation committee members headed by Retired Judge Galdino Moro
Okello.
The committee was supposed to meet with claimants from the sub-counties
of Labongo Layamo, Labongo Akwang and Kitgum Municipality. They were also
supposed to meet other claimants from Mucwini, Lagoro, and Kitgum Matidi
sub-counties.
Kitgum Resident District Commissioner William Komakech says that the claimants
meeting with the compensation committee was suspended over the new covid-19 guidelines
issued by President Museveni.
//cue in: “it was unfortunate…
Cue out:…it was suspended.”//
Komakech noted that the reduction follows auditing conducted that found
irregularities in numbers of animals earlier submitted by the war debt
claimants’ former chairpersons Norbert Adyera and Noah Opwonya[deceased].
He says an authentic report of the verified claimants has since been handed by
the Chief Administrative Officer Martin Jacan Gwokto to the Compensation
Committee Chairperson.
//cue in: “there complaint could…
Cue out:…with Kitgum work.”//
The government early this year released 10 Billion Shillings towards
compensation of the war debt claimants in Acholi, Teso, Lango and Karamoja sub-regions.
