The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Soroti, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Police in Soroti City have arrested the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) party President, Patrick Amuriat Oboi, and two Members of Parliament for staging a demonstration over the delayed cattle compensation of Teso War Debt Claimants.
The demo has been dubbed “No Cow, No Vote.” The MPs arrested were Joan Alobo Acom and Johnathan Ebwalu for Soroti City and the Soroti City West Division, respectively. The others are Isaac Asaku, the Soroti City West FDC Chairperson, Mary Goretti Atemo, the FDC aspirant for Kumi Woman MP, and Sam Acaitum, personal assistant to MP Alobo.
The group is currently held at the East Kyoga Regional Police Headquarters, which has been sealed off to bar any other person from accessing the premises.
The group notified the police of their impending protest last week. The protest is meant to pressure the government to expedite the compensation processes of the war debt claimants.
Speaking before his arrest, Amuriat said that the government has not prioritized the compensation of war debt claimants, yet several lives and properties were lost.
“We are here to highlight the grievances of our people, the people of Teso. If the police choose to fight us, then we have no option but to defend ourselves.”
Amuriat also accused security personnel of blocking their planned prayer gathering at the Public Gardens in Soroti City, which he said was meant to seek justice for the victims:
“We have seen heavy police deployment at the venue, but we are not leaving until they open the Public Gardens for us. We are here to demand justice, no cow, no vote!”
MP Tom Julius Ekudo (Gweri County) condemned the arrests, reiterating that the government had failed to compensate the victims:
“Our people have died waiting for compensation, but there is still no sign of justice. As leaders of Teso, we are now saying, “No cow, no vote!”
The compensation issue was triggered by the arrest of 40 elders from the Teso sub-region who reportedly met the National Unity Platform (NUP) leader, Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu aka Bobi Wine, last month. The elders had reportedly resorted to NUP to discuss compensation and the growing poverty in Teso.
However, security forces intercepted them, confiscated their phones, and detained them at Wandegeya Police Station before releasing them.
In March 2022, President Yoweri Museveni launched a compensation process for war debt claimants at Soroti University for the Acholi, Lango, and Teso sub-regions.
However, the processes have dragged on, forcing the representative of war debt claimants, Counsel Richard Omongole, to return to court. The government heeded the compensation after court rulings that have been delivered in favour of the war debt claimants.
On Thursday, the Prime Minister, Robbinah Nabbanja, directed the Attorney General, Kiryowa Kiwanuka, to provide a comprehensive statement detailing payments of the war debt claimants from the three regions.
The premier’s directive followed the submission from the Soroti County MP, Patrick Aeku, in Parliament about the compensation issues. Aeku informed the house about the pending protest by the section of leaders from Teso.
The police in East Kyoga have yet to comment on the matter.
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