WEST NILE | LEADERS | JOINT MEMO | TABLED | MUSEVENI

The leaders in West Nile have addressed a range of issues affecting their region to President Yoweri Museveni, including the compensation of war victims.

Speaking during the presidential visit in Arua on Wednesday, Arua city Woman MP Mourine Osoru said the matter of compensation had dragged on for a long time and needed the President's urgent intervention.

She said over 1,000 victims have yet to be compensated over decades since the Joseph Kony-led Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) rebels were forced out of Uganda.

MP Songa Laurence Biyika chairman West Nile Parliamentary Caucus shared the memo of the West Nile region.

Osoru said some of them lost their business, property, and money during the insurgency in northern Uganda.

Speaking at Arua Golf Grounds, the MP also reminded Museveni that the West Nile tobacco farmers have also not been compensated.

On health services, she said the health facilities in West Nile generally are short of drugs and patients are forced to buy medicine from private facilities.

She gave Arua Regional Referral Hospital, which also handles refugees, as one such example and appealed to the President to ensure the drug stockout issue is sorted.

Lawrence Songa Biyika represents Oraa County in Parliament and is also the chairman of the West Nile Parliamentary Caucus. Speaking at the same event in Arua, he talked of the power outage problem in the sub-region, urging for stable power.

President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni in a group photo with West Nile Effort for Museveni.

The leader also appealed for the paving of domestic and regional roads, especially those leading to the border points, to boost business activity and revenue generation.

Songa also asked the President to support the families of late Arua Municipality MP Ibrahim Abiriga and others.

Arua Central Division MP Jackson Lee Buti Atima hailed the President's four-acre model and appealed to him to support the skilling of youths and women.

He reminded the President of the Muslim community land in Arua city.

Arua city mayor Wadri Sam Nyakua asked Museveni to intervene in the issue of sharing of assets between Arua district and the city to ensure funds are allocated to construct a headquarter for the district.

On health, he proposed that Oli Health Centre IV be elevated to hospital status to improve health service delivery.

Arua Woman mP mourine Osoru speaking during the Presidential address in Arua On Wednesday.

Wadri also said the lack of road unit equipment for Arua City affects road maintenance, adding that the city has over 500 kilometers of roads.

Ayivu division was been left out in the Uganda Road Fund releases and the city is still getting the indicative planning figures of the former Arua municipality.

Wadri asked for the creation of three more divisions in Ayivu, which has seven sub-counties merged to form one division, thus crippling service delivery.

He also urged the President to pick interest in the issue of the Kei forest, which has reportedly seen people living along the forest areas displaced, resulting in resettlement difficulties.