Kony War Victims In West Nile Renew Call For Compensation

ARUA. The victims of Joseph Kony’s Lord Resistance Army (LRA) war in the West Nile sub-region have renewed the call to be compensated after over 20 years of waiting.

A total of 1, 102 victims have for long been demanding shs99,884,000,000 in compensation for the merchandise, money and lives lost during the 20-year Kony insurgency along Karuma – Pakwach highway in between 1988 to 2006.

The victims say they have submitted papers over papers to the government and moved to various offices trying to demand for their compensation, but all in vain.

Now, they are threatening to use their numbers to de-campaign President Museveni and his NRM party contestants in the coming 2026 general elections if they are not paid.

Speaking to journalists over the weekend, Alex Matua, the chairperson of the victims, said President Museveni authorized their payment but to date, they have not yet received any coin from the government.

“I’m not happy again because of the Kony war victims in West Nile. For me, this has taken too long, it appears the NRM candidate who will come to West Nile as a Presidential candidate will not get votes. That is what we are now emphasizing because of this issue of our failed compensation,” Matua said.

***One of the Kony war victims in West Nile showing some of the bullet wounds he sustained during the Kony war***

“Since Dr. Kenneth Omona (the then President Museveni’s Personal Secretary) wrote on June 10, 2022 to the Attorney General to compensate us, nothing has been done. Hajj. Yunus Kakande, the Secretary in the office of the President also wrote a letter to the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Defence to consider the issue of Kony war victims in West Nile but up to now, nothing has been done,” Matua stated.

He added that on May 2, 2023, Hon. Anet Anita Among, the Speaker of Parliament, also wrote to the Attorney General to pay the Kony war victims in West Nile and later inform her accordingly as soon as possible.

“Now it is one year since the Speaker wrote the letter but nothing has been done yet our money (about Shs30bn) was approved in the budget of 2022/2023 financial year for at least four regions; Teso, Lango, Acholi and West Nile sub-regions. Where is this money?” Matua asked.

“This money was allocated but now we are thinking somebody has swindled it because of corruption. So, we are now asking His Excellency President Museveni to consider paying us before 2026 comes, we are not happy. And my members have told me that they are not voting NRM candidates in 2026 if their money is not paid,” Matua emphasized.

Earlier in October, 2023, over 200 Kony war victims in West Nile beat President Museveni’s ever alert security to storm his residence in Anyafio, a suburb of Arua city and camped at the entrance for more than two hours.

The victims took security by surprise when they surfaced at the State Lodge in Arua Central Division of Arua City carrying banners and placards encrypted with various failed compensation messages.

Security operatives who didn’t detect the week-long mobilization of the war victims to storm the President’s home, later showed up in an attempt to arrest the situation, an hour later.

Some of the Kony war victims protesting at the State Lodge gate in Arua in June last year. Photo by Andrew Cohen Amvesi — ***Some of the Kony war victims protesting at the State Lodge gate in Arua in June last year.*** *Photo by Andrew Cohen Amvesi*

It took the UPDF and police officers who rushed to the scene on foot and in two patrol vehicles another one more hour to convince the victims who had gathered at the President’s residence at exactly 2:30pm to finally leave the place at 4:40pm.

Alahayi Rashid Chiriga, a victim from Yumbe district who was shot in the arms and still carrying a bullet in his right arm, said he was shot on October 3, 1997 while on the way from Kampala to Arua in Contour Bus.

***Chiriga speaks while holding some of his documents during an earlier meeting organized by the members.***

“In that bus 36 people were burnt, we jumped through the window and we were rescued. These are my arms which were shot. There is a head of a bullet stuck in my right arm, the X-Rays are here. I was shot when my kids were very young, up to now due to this condition of mine, they are not in school. Actually, we are requesting the government to help us,” Chiriga said.

“If some of the people in Teso, Lango and Acholi are paid for their cows. All the people of West Nile are aware that Kony killed West Nilers between Karuma and Pakwach bridges. Our documents are all clear, why is the government dodging us like this? Sincerely, somebody like me who has suffered for all this long, I was shot when I was in my 40s now at 64 years, I’m almost going to die. Let the government help us,” Chiriga pleaded.

Samuel Ondoma of Alaka and Co. Advocates, the Lawyer representing the Kony war victims in West Nile, said his clients are now tired.

“These victims have been following their compensation from the government and it is over 20 years now that they have not been paid to date. We received some correspondences from the UPDF headquarters especially, from the Directorate of Special Investigations that gave us things that we were supposed to get from the victims and furnish to the UPDF headquarters in Mbuya,” Ondoma said.

Some of the Arua Konyi war victims showing bullet wounds they sustained during the LRA insurgency. PHOTO BY ANDREW COHEN AMVESI — ***Some of the Arua Konyi war victims showing bullet wounds they sustained during the LRA insurgency.*** *Photo by Andrew Cohen Amvesi*

He noted that they wanted all the affected victims to make statements on what exactly happened when they were affected by the war.

“All the information needed, we managed to furnish them, they also needed recommendations from religious leaders which we did. So, all the required information which the UPDF headquarters in Mbuya required to compensate the affected victims from the greater Arua was furnished to that office. We submitted all the information of the 1,102 victims on February 2, 2024,” Ondoma remarked.

He said the evidence required from the victims was accompanied with a letter which they wrote to the Permanent Secretary and was received.

“We have been following this letter but unfortunately, I’m sorry to say that up to date, we have not got any tangible response from the PS of the Ministry of Defence and Veterans Affairs. We were informed that this letter was being rooted from the Director Special Investigations in the UPDF office and it went to the Commissioner Legal Services who confirmed to us that he received our evidence and the letter, and that he was working on it. Unfortunately, up to date, we have not received any direct response of how far they have reached with the issue of compensating the Kony war victims in West Nile,” Ondoma explained.