AKENA: Cattle compensation is mockery of Teso war debt claimants

Akena and his team at the burial

Serere, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The President of the Uganda People’s Congress (UPC) party, Jimmy Akena has described the government’s payment system for the compensation program for the war debt claimants as a mockery to the people of Teso and northern Uganda.

Akena made the comments while attending the burial of one of the UPC stalwarts in the Teso sub region, Mwalimu Joseph Okello Eingu in Akumoi 2 village in Pingire Sub County, Serere district on Thursday. Okello was a teacher at Soroti Secondary School where he served for more than 30 years.

Akena, while giving his eulogy, used the opportunity to criticize the government for impoverishing the people of Teso. He said that Teso was the richest sub region in Uganda with the cattle economy before the NRM government took over power in 1986.

“The 1984 census in Uganda indicated that Teso had the highest number of cattle followed by Ankole, Lango and Karamoja sub regions. These cattle were Teso’s pride and wealth,” he said. Adding that the cattle in Teso were the source of livelihoods, savings and education of their children.

“The cattle were a solution to almost every problem in the households. How did this region slip into this level of poverty,” he asked while addressing hundreds of mourners in Serere district.

According to Akena, the current system of payment of war debt claimants by the government will take more than 40 years for all the beneficiaries to be covered.

In 2022, the government launched the payment of war debt claimants from the Teso, Lango and Acholi sub regions in Soroti. The compensation program is expected to last for a while since funds are allocated annually.

However, Akena also castigated the government for its highhandedness on the dissenting voices especially from the opposition politicians and activists. He noted that there’s need to empower the youth economically other than blaming them for offering arts subjects in school.

Akena was accompanied by several members of the UPC party drawn from Soroti City and Serere districts. He was also joined by the Pingire County MP Fred Opolot and the Soroti City West MP Jonathan Ebwalu.

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