Gulu, Uganda: Members of the Acholi War Debt Claimants Association (AWDCA) are threatening to return to court, accusing government of sidelining them in ongoing discussions about cattle compensation, despite being the direct victims of livestock losses during the conflicts of the 1980s and 1990s.
The warning comes after President Yoweri Museveni’s meeting on August 18, 2025, at Awich Core PTC in Gulu City, where he engaged religious, cultural, and political leaders from Acholi sub-region but excluded representatives of the claimants.
Oleke Julius, chairperson of AWDCA, said he was dismayed that the President met everyone else except those directly affected.
“We thought our members would be invited to meet with the President so that we air out our grievances. They just decided to let us out to dry. If the President doesn’t want to pay us, let him say so, but if everything else fails, we shall go to court,” Oleke told journalists.
In the Gulu meeting, President Museveni ordered a one-month audit and verification of all cattle compensation beneficiaries in Acholi. He cautioned that if irregularities persist, the government may consider a new “flat empowerment model” to benefit all households, instead of individual compensation.
The President also directed that the names of beneficiaries and corresponding payments be published in every sub-county to promote transparency and public scrutiny.
However, the claimants rejected the idea of another verification exercise. Eng. Okello James, one of the members, said this would be the fourth such exercise, describing it as wasteful and frustrating.
“The Attorney General already has our list. We have done this three times. Many of our colleagues have died waiting for compensation. Why should we keep doing the same thing every time?” Okello asked.
Kibwota Betty, another claimant, said they do not trust the committee formed after the President’s meeting, insisting it does not represent their interests. “The President should not be misled. If he wants the true data, we have it in our offices. We cannot work with a committee that excludes us.”
State Minister for Northern Uganda, Dr. Kenneth Omona, acknowledged the challenges that have plagued the programme, including poor data capture, corruption, and fraud. He urged the claimants to trust the President’s directives, stressing that the exercise was not a political gimmick.
“I understand the frustrations and loss of hope among claimants, but this is a genuine concern the President wants resolved once and for all,” Dr. Omona said.
In 2006, AWDCA filed Civil Suit No. 38 of 2006 against the government over livestock losses during the 1985 Bush War and subsequent insurgencies. In 2008, President Museveni ordered the Attorney General to negotiate an out-of-court settlement within six months.
Yet, nearly two decades later, compensation remains incomplete. According to AWDCA, 21,266 people were registered as claimants by August 2025. Of these, 16,946 were verified for payment, but only 3,870 have received partial compensation totaling Sh4.06 billion, just 22.8% of verified claimants.
The association further alleges that 5,733 members were omitted from official lists, excluding 215,733 animals, valued at Sh261.5 billion. 6,227 claimants had their cattle numbers reduced by 229,241 animals, costing them about Sh240 billion.
These discrepancies, they say, are due to local government manipulation and failure by the Attorney General’s office to use their authentic records.
At the Gulu meeting, President Museveni admitted that billions meant for claimants have been mismanaged. He accused some lawyers of diverting funds, forcing the government to switch to direct bank payments, a system he said was also corrupted.
Museveni faulted the Attorney General’s office for imposing costly requirements, such as letters of administration for heirs of deceased claimants, which he said unfairly burdened poor rural families.
“Delays in compensation have condemned many genuine claimants to die without justice, while others are bedridden or too weak to chase after payments. What remains now are their children and grandchildren carrying the burden,” Museveni noted.
Deputy Attorney General Jackson Kafuzi Karugaba admitted that data management has been chaotic. “Some claimants are minors without guardianship papers, others share NIN numbers, and some lists carry double claims. The number of claimants keeps increasing,” Karugaba said.
Despite the assurances, AWDCA insists it will not cooperate with the new verification process and is considering legal action if their grievances remain unaddressed.
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