West Nile Kony War Victims Accuse Arua RCC of Undermining Compensation Claims, Threaten Political Shift
Kony war victims in Arua protesting with placards at RCC's office on Thursday
ARUA CITY: On Thursday, members of the West Nile Kony War Victims Association staged a peaceful demonstration in Arua City, accusing Arua City Resident City Commissioner (RCC) Salim Komakech of making deliberate statements to undermine their demand for government compensation.
Over 100 members of the association gathered at the Mayor’s Gardens before marching to the RCC’s office, demanding that Komakech retract a statement he made during a radio talk show. According to the protesters, Komakech, who has been transferred to another district, claimed on air that the group included underage members and had inflated the number of claimants.
The victims strongly denied these allegations, condemning the remarks as false and inflammatory, which prompted their march to his office.
The demonstrators also threatened to campaign against and vote out National Resistance Movement (NRM) candidates in the region if such negative propaganda continues. Some vowed to abandon their support for the NRM, with several threatening to surrender their NRM T-shirts and back the National Unity Platform (NUP) if their compensation is not paid before the 2026 general elections.
Alex Matua, Chairman of the West Nile Kony War Victims Association, stated that Komakech’s remarks not only undermine the group’s integrity but also dehumanize survivors who endured the brutal atrocities of the Kony insurgency.
“RCC Komakech spoke about a fake list of Kony war victims, allegedly left in his office by the late Ibrahim Abiriga. We demand to see that list. He mentioned it on the radio, so where are the 200 people he claims are on it? I’m here with my genuine members, 1,102 strong,” Matua challenged.
Matua further revealed that he visited Mbuya and discovered that a similar fake list had been submitted to the Ministry of Defence by Huda Abason Oleru, the State Minister for Defence in charge of Veterans Affairs, sidelining the genuine victims he represents.
Salim Kumakech was not present at his office during the protest, but Swadik Angupale, the Deputy RCC, addressed the demonstrators. Speaking in a mix of English and Lugbara, Angupale urged calm and promised to forward the claimants’ list to the relevant authorities for verification.
He also called for patience and transparency in the process.
Reports indicate that Kumakech was transferred to Buyende District last week, and no replacement has been made yet.
The West Nile Kony war victims, affected by the insurgency from 1995 to 1999, are demanding UGX 99 billion in compensation for 1,102 members, many of whom have since passed away.