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Arua, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Lord Resistance Army (LRA) war victims in West Nile have renewed their demand for compensation.
The 1,102 members under their umbrella organization West Nile Kony War Victims Association lost money, merchandise and motor vehicles among other property between 1992 and 1997 during the LRA insurgency in northern Uganda.
Over 500 of the war victims in a meeting in Onduparaka on Saturday resolved that after 20 years of seeking compensation from the government all in vain, they will vote against all NRM candidates until they are paid.
The members are demanding 99 Billion Shillings for which several efforts including Court action have been made since 1996 to date but to no success.
Sam Ondoma of Alaka and Company advocates and Legal Advisor to the Kony War Victims said the members have given them authority to meet the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Defense and Veteran Affairs.
Alex Matua, the Chairman West Nile Kony War Victims Association said since 1996 when they started the compensation claim process, he has received numerous threats to his life to abandon the move the demands.
Beatrice Avutiru 50 years old who lost her two-year-old baby to a gunshot wound and sustained a broken arm, said she lost over 60 million Shillings when they were attacked in their bus and abducted by LRA rebels for three days before escaping from their captivity.
Some of the victims of the LRA insurgency in West Nile have vowed to go on hunger strikes and disrupt any government activity in the region if the government does not heed their demand.
On April 12th 2023 a team of seven members of the War claimants met President Museveni at the State Lodge in Anyafio but were directed to Dr Kenneth Omona the then Personal Secretary to President Museveni to write to the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Defense and Veteran Affairs to ensure payment process is started but this has never yielded any positive results.
Earlier in 2020, Matua with the help of Deputy Director ESO General Taban Amin spoke directly to President Museveni who requested the members to submit all their details to his office but no response has been received.
Nile Coach Bus Company in 2023 demanded compensation of 1 Billion Shillings for three of their Buses which were burned by the LRA rebels while plying the Arua-Kampala route between Pakwach and Karuma, the state is yet to respond to their demand.
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