UPDF Widows Plan Demo Over Gratuity

By K. Muhanga OVER 100 widows and relatives to deceased UPDF soldiers on Tuesday stormed the office of Mbarara resident district commissioner, demanding to be paid gratuity or else stage a hunger strike until their demand is met.“We were promised compensation for our sons who died in the war by the President but up to now we have never got anything. We shall stay here until we are paid,” the furious women said.Some of them claimed they had not been paid since their husbands died and others said they were put on the pay list in 1998 but to-date they had not been paid.They said they want to meet President Yoweri Museveni to express their problems.Efforts by the deputy RDC, Sarah Bananuka, to convince them to go home were fruitless as they turned rowdy.The RDC, Joseph Arwata, was reportedly out office on a special meeting.The UPDF spokesperson, Shaban Bantariza, said the women were acting irresponsibly and disrespectful. He said, “They are fully aware that the President appointed state minister for security Ruth Nankabirwa to address the issue and they are also aware that the ministry is drawing up a programme. So their act is not called for.” By Wednesday evening, the women were still camped at the RDC’s office planning a demonstration. Ends