Former presidential candidate Dr. Kizza Besigye has visited the ailing Mukono Municipality MP Betty Nambooze Bakireke in New York where she went for treatment.

Nambooze went to New York in June 2022 seeking further treatment having suffered injuries after the fall in her home in Mukono. She was first admitted at Lubaga Hospital however the situation worsened.

 “I’ve visited Hon Betty Nambooze in New York and was comforted to find her looking more fit & in high spirits than I’d seen her for quite some time,” Besigye said.

 “When Comrade Dr. Kiza Besigye traveled for two and half hours on a train to come and check on me in New York, it touched my heart profoundly. The fact that he decided to come and see firsthand how I’m doing health wise….surprised me greatly,” Nambooze said.

She said Besigye is one of the greatest assets of the struggle ever concerned about the welfare of Activists.

 “I joked but the joke is actually true that none of my sicknesses has ever been resolved without his name featuring somewhere and that now that he had come to see me,” she said.

She however gave hope for quick recovery and promised to travel back to Uganda very soon.

 “I will soon be well and fit to travel back to Uganda. I ate butwefuke buto ne….. Colonialist ……Dictators and oppressors on one side….Democrats and Strugglists on the other side! (in H.E Bobi’s voice),” she tweeted.

“Thank you Doctor for that kind venture,” she thanked Besigye.

In 2017 Nambooze suffered grave injuries to her back during a scuffle that emerged in the House while Parliament debated the controversial constitutional amendment bill that aimed at lifting the presidential age limit. She was then taken to India where she underwent surgery.

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The Embassy of Ireland to the Kingdom of the Netherlands and the Trust Fund for Victims (TFV) at the International Criminal Court (ICC) have visited northern Uganda to witness first-hand the transformative work focusing on the lasting impact of the conflict and the individuals and communities affected by the many atrocities committed.

Delegates on the visit hoped to gain insight into reparation implementation programmes and hear directly about victims’ experiences of court-ordered reparation programmes in the Lubanga and the Katanga case in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Norbert Mao, Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs of Uganda said, “Although the guns have gone silent, the wounds are still deep.”

“We highly appreciate this important monitoring visit with so many delegates and we are certain that they will bring back great impressions of Uganda after their personal interactions with the victims of the LRA. It has become apparent that mental health is very important to be addressed. We have to ensure that psychosomatic services among others are continued as some victims will require this assistance to lead a normal life. The work of the Trust Fund for Victims is of utmost importance to the thousands of victims in northern Uganda and we hope that the assistance will be prolonged. Without the assistance of the Government of Ireland, this visit would have not been possible, and we shall welcome you again, any time,” he said.

The Chair of the TFV Board of Directors, Minou Tavarez Mirabal, said, “Medical treatment, trauma counselling and livelihood support are life-changing services that afford recognition and a form of justice to victims of Rome Statute crimes and redress for the harm they have suffered. The TFV calls for collective efforts to restore hope, transforming lives and achieving long-term reparative justice for victims,” she added.

Speaking on Ireland’s hopes for the visit and support of the TFV’s work, H.E. Ambassador Brendan Rogers of Ireland to the Netherlands said: “This visit is the bridge between The Hague and the field. Delegates are now better informed and have seen with their own eyes the impact of the work of the TFV on the ground. We now have a family of supporters of the Fund that can take that support back to The Hague and beyond.”

Participating delegates came to better understand the deeply rooted harm persisting in northern Uganda sixteen years after the LRA conflict and the need to redress this harm. Beneficiaries of the programme called upon the delegates to provide reparative measures more broadly to the victims, their children and communities. Delegates committed to advocating for increased international awareness and support in order to allow the TFV to continue its programmes in northern Uganda, complementing the efforts of the Government of Uganda.

Recalling the commitment to victims and affected communities of atrocity crimes, President of the Assembly of States Parties, Silvia Fernandez de Gurmendi, called on States Parties of the Rome Statute to step up providing support to victims. “States Parties should cooperate with the ICC in order to ensure perpetrators of crimes are brought to justice, and the rights and needs of victim-survivors are addressed. During my mandate, I will do my utmost to promote the important work of the Trust Fund for victims.”

Fourteen States participated in the monitoring visit this year, including the President of the Assembly of the States Parties, and representatives from the governments of Australia, Belgium, Chile, Estonia, Germany, Ireland, Liechtenstein, Netherlands, New Zealand, Switzerland, Tanzania, Uganda, United States, and the European Union. Also, Legal Representatives of Victims in the Ongwen case and civil society organisations participated in the visit.

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The Director of Mobilisation at the National Resistance Movement (NRM) Secretariat, Rosemary Nansubuga Seninde has assured Ugandans of the government’s commitment towards fighting poverty through industrialization and uplifting them out of subsistence production into the money economy through putting in place development initiatives.  

She said that after pacifying the entire Country, the NRM government has shifted its focus to improving the lives of ordinary citizens through free education, medical care and extending financial assistance through projects like the Emyooga and the Parish Development Model (PDM).

Seninde added that the Government in its 2022/23 financial Year National Budget will inject over a trillion shillings into the popular PDM project for people to access credit. Every parish out of the 10,000 parishes countrywide shall receive Shs100 million to boost agricultural production and value addition, hence asking the cadres to be vigilant to foil corruption and misappropriation.  

“As the government endeavours to provide you with assistance, I discourage you from lamentations and blame games on the Government over widespread poverty. 

“Don’t blame President Museveni for poverty either because his government has a track record of fighting poverty through various initiatives, citing programs like Emyooga, Entandikwa, and Prosperity from All but blames their failure on frustration by corrupt and selfish officials,” Seninde added. 

The NRM’s National chief mobilizer said the war on poverty is not only a Government responsibility but should be a shared responsibility to the citizens.

Seninde advised Ugandans to organise, coordinate and work together with the government by forming SACCOs for easy management. 

Mr. Richard Rwabuhinga, the Kabarole district Chairman applauded president Yoweri Museveni and his NRM government for the continued support to the people of Tooro subregion through various projects like road infrastructure, modern market among others. 

He asked the NRM secretariat to empower cadres in enhancing mobilisation and sensitization of available initiatives that are aimed at alleviating poverty.   

Mr. Patrick Kamulindwa who organised the event praised the NRM Secretary General, Rt. Hon. Richard Todwong and the Secretariat top management for bringing sanity and improving relations with party supporters and cadres at all levels. 

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The State House anti-corruption Unit in liaison with Police have arraigned Lira District officials on charges of Abuse of Office, Conspiracy to defraud and fraudulent procurement of titles on district land.

The suspects are; the Natural Resources Officer Pabious Otuke and Lira Lands Ministry Zonal Office Cartographer Joel Ogwang.

Prosecution avers that while surveying public land in Lira, they allegedly left out part of it and processed titles which they allocated to their accomplice Atoo Rebecca. The District Staff surveyor is still at large.

The two were arraigned before Grade One Magistrate Moses Nabende at the Kololo based Anti-Corruption Court on Thursday.

They have been remanded until September 28, 2022.

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Government requires Shs2 trillion to compensate victims of wars and insurgencies in Northern and Eastern Uganda, West Nile and the Elgon sub region, the Deputy Attorney General, Jackson Kafuuzi, has said.

Kafuuzi told the Committee on Government Assurance and Implementation presided over by the vice-chairperson, Mr. Joseph Ssewungu, that to date, 20,727 claimants have been paid a total of Shs50 billion in the 27 districts in Acholi, Lango, West Nile, Karamoja, Teso, Sebei, Bukedi and Busoga sub-regions, with each district received at least Shs1.7 billion.

The Deputy Attorney General appeared before the committee, which is following up on government assurances on compensating people who lost their cattle during the different insurgencies and wars in the sub regions, on Thursday, 22 September 2022.

“At the closure of the Financial Year 2021/2022 out of 38,225 submissions from the districts, 30,339 were reviewed. Out of the 30,339 submissions, 20,727 were paid a total sum of Shs50 billion,” he said.

Kafuuzi said that compensation was raised from about Shs300,000 to Shs1 million for each animal and that compensation was done for up to 50 cows.

He added that claimants being paid are those who sued government, which prayed that the cases be settled out of court.

Kafuuzi, however, said that the estimated amount needed to complete the compensation would be Shs2 trillion that would cater for all war debt claimants of Acholi, Lango, Teso, Karamoja, West Nile, Sebei, Bukedi, Busoga and other regions.

He said that this figure is not yet verified, but rather an estimate basing on several other districts that seek to be included.

Ssewungu tasked the Attorney General to provide details of some of the beneficiaries of compensation from Kwania district.

He also said the committee will interface with Anthony Odul who was awarded Shs136 million for 136 cows; Anthonio Opio who was paid Shs120 million for 120 cows and William Okidi who received Shs108 million for 108 cows.

The vice-person said the sampling of the compensated persons is meant to establish the facts around the exercise.

Kafuuzi ruled out using part of the funds meant for compensation to meet administrative costs as was the case in earlier exercises.

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