Families of bush war combatants aided

Sep 08, 2008

PRESIDENT Yoweri Museveni has commissioned seven houses built by the army for the families of officers who helped him in the fight against Idi Amin’s regime in the early 1970s.

By Chris Ocowun

PRESIDENT Yoweri Museveni has commissioned seven houses built by the army for the families of officers who helped him in the fight against Idi Amin’s regime in the early 1970s.

Museveni, who was accompanied by his wife, Janet, on Sunday, flew from Swaziland to Gulu to hand over the houses to the families of the officers killed in 1973 and those killed by the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA).

The families that benefited from the project were that of Amos Obwona in Atiak sub-county, Alpeo Bongomin in Pabbo sub-county and John Labeja in Awere.

Other houses were built in Gulu town for the families of Fedenaldo Gipir, Yakobo Oyet, Kolonerio Okumu and Lino E. Okwiya. The two-bed room houses have solar power and two shops.

“Bongomin was our chairman, who was killed by Vincent Otti’s LRA group with the help of some collaborators whom we are still hunting for,” Museveni said.
He added that Obwona and the others were part of his group between 1972-73.

“I had links with people like Akena Pajok in Atiak and Lino Okwiya in Awere, to whom I brought guns to Atiak with Obwona. The guns were to be delivered to Okwiya in Awere through Jacob Okello,” said Museveni while handing over keys to Bongomin’s widow, Auma Bongomin, and Obwona’s younger brother George Odong at Pabbo IDP camp.

Museveni narrated how he and the First Deputy Prime Minister, Eriya Kategaya, escaped Amin’s army in Gulu. He said the betrayal by one Latigo, whom he stayed with at Rex Hotel in Dar-es-Salaam, led to the death of NRM collaborators in the north.

“We, who survived the struggle, should continue defeating other killers. The families of those who died need to be helped,” Museveni said.

On infrastructure, the President said he had directed the Ministry of Works to assess the condition of the Gulu-Juba road, which is to be repaired soon.
Museveni told the people of Pabbo that sh1.1 trillion would be spent on the reconstruction and rehabilitation of roads this financial year.

Gulu chairman Norbert Mao said there were others who had sacrificed their lives but never got such houses.
“We should not feel jealous but appreciate what the President has done for the families of the fallen fighters,” Mao said.

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