FIFTEEN parishes in Nakasongola are to get sh240m loans and grants from the Luweero Triangle ministry, Nyombi Thembo, the sector minister, has said.
Nyombi Thembo said 50% of the money, to be disbursed in January, would finance low-interest loans and the remaining 50% would be grants.
He said the funds would be channelled through the Luweero-Rwenzori Development programme under his ministry.
The minister, who was in Nakasongola recently, said the selected beneficiaries would access the money through Savings and Credit Cooperative Societies (SACCOs).
Nyombi Thembo, who was meeting Nakasongola veterans, also said his ministry, through the Luweero Rwenzori programme, would provide them with 500 bee hives worth sh20m to enable them start mass production of honey.
He added that the veterans would also be helped to process the honey.
On the water problem in the semi-arid Nakasongola District, Nyombi said the Ministry would provide a bull dozer which will hire at shs 20m to help individual residents to dig their own dams.
He assured the veterans that they would all receive the akasiimo (gratuity) packages whose payment was launched by President Yoweri Museveni last December, regardless of their political affiliations.
"Whoever participated during the struggle is entitled to getting akasiimo (gratuity) .We don’t look at the party affiliation, nor tribe, because what is happening today has no relationship with what happened then," he said.
He thanked the veterans for being patient, despite their delayed packages and urged them to maintain their unwavering support for the NRM government.
"If a person owes you a debt, you have to make sure that he remains alive so that he pays you," he said.
Hell broke lose ion the middle of the meeting as the veterans accused their leaders of forcing them to pay for the gratuity application forms, which Nyombi Tembo ruled that they should be distributed free.
The Nakasongola LCv boss, James Wandera had earlier said that the veterans were living in poverty and urgently needed to be assisted.
