Elections 2026: Mafabi vows swift compensation for LRA war victims

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The Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) presidential flag bearer, Nathan Nandala Mafabi, has pledged swift compensation to victims of the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) war who lost their property and loved ones during the insurgency.

Mafabi, who has been campaigning in the Lango subregion since Friday, October 10, spent the weekend traversing Amolatar, Otuke, Lira City, Adokul, Alebtong, and Lira district, outlining his manifesto and engaging potential voters on how he intends to “fix what has gone wrong” in the country.

Addressing a rally at Aromo town board in Aromo subcounty, Lira district, the FDC presidential hopeful said his government would prioritise compensation for victims of the LRA conflict, acknowledging the deep trauma and losses suffered by the people of northern Uganda between 1994 and 2002 when the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) under the NRM government drove out Joseph Kony.

“The LRA war left many of our people broken, thousands lost their lives, others their body parts, livestock, and land,” Mafabi said.

“I am aware that our children still live in fear and trauma. Most of you lost parents and property. We must compensate you within the first two years of our five-year term.”

He further promised that his administration would ensure every affected family receives compensation based on verified losses.

“We will value what each of you lost and pay accordingly. The NRM government has made these promises for years, but no one has ever been compensated. They are only mentioning it again because campaigns have started. Unlike them, our government will keep its word,” Mafabi stated.

FDC to work with UPC on parliamentary representation

Mafabi also reaffirmed the FDC’s historic ties with the Uganda People’s Congress (UPC), saying the two parties share deep roots in ideology and membership across the northern region.

“My father was a strong member of the UPC. Both I and FDC president Patrick Oboi Amuriat were members during our first term in Parliament, and we used to attend the UPC caucus,” he revealed.

“We may be in FDC now, but at the right time, we shall reconcile our differences.”

He argued that the government deliberately blocked UPC president Jimmy Akena from contesting in the current elections to weaken the party’s influence in the north and push voters towards the ruling NRM.

“Barring your leader Akena was intentional, it was meant to cut off the UPC’s support base and divert votes to NRM,” Mafabi told supporters.

“This is where FDC comes in. We are your brothers. If UPC had a presidential candidate in this election, we would not even be campaigning here. But since they were blocked, vote FDC, we are with you.”

Mafabi added that the FDC is in discussions with UPC to jointly support candidates in constituencies where one of the two parties is stronger.

“We are going to have conversations with UPC to support their candidates in areas where we don’t have aspirants. Where both of us have candidates, we shall assess who has more support and back that person whether they belong to FDC or UPC,” he said.

Lira district, where Mafabi held rallies on October 11, remains largely dominated by the ruling NRM, both in parliamentary representation and in previous presidential elections. In the 2021 polls, President Yoweri Museveni garnered the highest votes in the district, followed by UPC and the National Unity Platform (NUP), with the FDC coming in fourth.

Despite the odds, Mafabi expressed confidence that growing discontent among citizens over unfulfilled government promises would give the FDC a chance to reclaim the north’s trust.

“People here have suffered, but they have also learnt. They know who has been deceiving them and who is ready to act,” he concluded, amid cheers from supporters waving FDC flags.

Isaac Ojok Angiro Gutomoi, the FDC aspiring MP for Erute North Constituency in Lira district, asked the presidential hopeful to prioritise the road network, education, and rehabilitation of victims, saying the current situation was affecting the mental wellbeing of residents in the region.