Disgusted Luwero veterans create self-help fund

Tired of waiting for their gratuity packages, which are not forthcoming, veterans in the districts of greater Luwero have resolved to pool resources to create a self-help fund that will bail out members who are in financial difficulties.

Over 500 veterans from the districts of Luwero, Nakaseke, and Nakasongola, who converged in Luwero on Tuesday, resolved that each member contribute a monthly sh500 towards the fund.

About sh4b, which was meant to pay veterans gratuity packages, was last year locked up pending investigations into reports of alleged fraud.

In addition, Luwero triangle state minister Alice Kaboyo said during the National Heroes Day celebrations that were held in Luwero that the Government did not allocate any funds for payment of veterans' gratuity packages under the 2013/2014 financial year budget.

Kaboyo said the new development was likely to affect hundreds of eligible claimants who were scattered in the districts of the former triangle.

For that matter, the veterans who met in Luwero on Tuesday said they had waited for too long and had started to despair.

The chairperson of the group, David Kizito, said he had visited several relevant offices in search of solutions but had never got a positive response.

Kizito said because of financial difficulties, the group members, the majority of whom are elderly, were languishing in misery and suffering from non-communicable diseases such as diabetes and high blood pressure.

Feeling neglected 

Kizito said their members felt neglected by the regime that they helped to come to power.

Godfrey Kintu, a member who traveled from Monde village, Katikamu county, in Luwero, said the poor members spend out of their pockets to travel whenever they are invited for meetings, but their leaders usually have no good news to tell them.

Probe

According to Kaboyo, there is an ongoing investigation by the State House Anti-Corruption Unit to bring the culprits to book.

Kaboyo, while meeting veterans leaders in Luwero recently, said the move to suspend the payments and institute a probe followed reports that the packages were being paid to masqueraders at the expense of genuine claimants who have never received a single coin.

Kaboyo, however, reassured the veterans that all genuine claimants would receive their packages.

She asked the veterans, who included senior presidential advisor on veterans affairs Edrissa Seddunga, to help her identify genuine claimants.

Kaboyo wondered how juveniles as young as nine years could be among the claimants.

She had also promised to write to the administrators of Mbuya and Bombo military hospitals so that they establish special desks for handling veterans who fall sick.