The President of the Uganda People’s Congress (UPC) party, Jimmy Akena has described 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’s stalwarts in the Teso sub region, Mwalimu Joseph Okello Eingu in Serere district. 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 regions in Uganda with the cattle economy before the NRM government took over power in 1986.
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.
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.
