By Mulengera Reporters
During the Tuesday celebrations to mark President Museveni’s 82nd birthday at Kyambogo-based ONC offices, Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja was moved to tears after young adults, whose parents died while fighting besides Gen Museveni in execution of the bush war which ushered him into power in 1986, narrated the economic deprivation and destitution thousands of their peers are enduring up to this day.
Led by Anna Ruyondo, Sergeant Stephen Sekyanzi, Patricia Magala and Dr. Daniel Kangaha, the veteran children’s representatives asked Nabbanja to help them inform the President that they are totally down and some of them are questioning the wisdom in the decision their parents took to die fighting to establish a political system which has totally alienated and disregarded their children and grandchildren.
A clearly appalled Nabbanja pulled out her phone and rang Defense & Veterans Affairs Minister Kiwanuka Kiryowa who she grilled as to what all the billions that annually get allocated have been expended on if the veterans’ life is still this miserable. Apparently, from KK’s explanation Nabbanja was reminded that there are two categories of veterans-namely civilian veterans whose supportive roles aided the war and combat veterans who took part in the actual fighting.
Nabbanja was reminded that the people she was listening to at ONC offices were majorly related to civilian veterans who KK’s Ministry isn’t responsible for. They are for the Luwero Rwenzori Ministry which directly falls under the OPM which Nabbanja heads. KK explained to her that only Shs10bn is annually allocated to his Ministry to implement combat veterans-related interventions. He enumerated to her the different things they do as Defense to address the welfare of veterans.
Many of the things KK informed her about were corroborated by some of the supposed beneficiaries in the audience at ONC, who confirmed to the Prime Minister they have indeed been benefiting from such interventions.
It was clear the remaining part is OPM’s. At that point, Nabbanja (who ONC Manager Hadijah Uzeiye Namyalo praised for being a public-spirited Premier with genuine love for the ordinary people) owned up but quickly passed the blame to the Luwero-Rwenzori Minister Alice Kaboyo. She explained its Kaboyo and the technocrats she works with in her department who have to explain.
Vowing to convene a baraza-like meeting for civilian veterans at her OPM boardroom in the next two weeks, Nabbanja vowed to squeeze Kaboyo to explain what the Shs12bn annually available for veterans is expended on.
She said she is determined to address the problem once and for all and that there is no need to burden the President by requesting for a meeting with civilian veterans-since herself is the kamala byonna of the Central government. She said there is no problem she can’t solve regarding corruption and perceived inefficiency at any GoU MDA.
Nabbanja revealed that Kaboyo will have to produce the lists of all the veteran families on whom the Shs12bn has annually been splashed whereafter she (Nabbanja) will go to the Luwero triangle communities and move door to door in order to have physical verification of the interventions and projects the Ministry has been supporting. She promised to involve all civilian veterans in the verification so that ghosts, if any, can get to be exposed.
Nabbanja implored the veterans and their children to pardon President Museveni and not be angry at him because he has done his part prioritizing their unique challenges and going ahead to allocate financial resources for mitigation (only to be let down by government officials who misappropriate the money). She didn’t seem to be intimidated over the fact that Alice Kaboyo is a very powerful and well-appreciated person in the country even though she continues to serve as a State Minister. (For comments on this story, get back to us on 0705579994 [WhatsApp line], 0779411734 & 041 4674611 or email us at mulengeranews@gmail.com).
