Museveni aids camp victims
Feb 07, 2006
A mysterious fire yesterday gutted Padibe internally displaced people’s (IDPs) camp just hours before President Yoweri Museveni arrived for a rally.
By Henry Mukasa, Enock Kakande and Dennis Ojwee
A mysterious fire yesterday gutted Padibe internally displaced people’s (IDPs) camp just hours before President Yoweri Museveni arrived for a rally.
The fire started at 10:00am and razed 3,271 huts, according to the camp commandant. Over 40,000 dwell in the camp located 10km north of Kitgum town.
“I don’t know whether it was sabotage, LRA collaborators, or kifaru (witchcraft). Nobody knows,†Nahaman Ojwee, the Kitgum LC5 chairman, said.
Museveni, who arrived in Kitgum at 2:00pm aboard a helicopter from Gulu, immediately toured the smouldering huts.
Addressing a rally at Padibe Boys Primary School, Museveni commiserated with the residents and directed the Minister for Disaster preparedness to take up the ‘disaster’.
“I am sorry your huts were burnt, even Anaka (another camp in Gulu) was burnt. But I will contribute sh50,000 for each burnt hut (sh164m). I am doing this as President of the republic of Uganda although I am now a candidate for the NRM,†Museveni said.
Museveni said he was aware the people were in the camps because of Kony’s LRA but the problem would be solved soon.
“Kony is ending although you may not believe it,†the President said.
He said rescued abductees and captured former LRA fighters had revealed how weakened and on-the-run Kony was.
Museveni said a few rebels, whose leaders fled to either southern Sudan or DR Congo, were trying to sabotage peace.
He said the government was working on resettling IDPs with a package that would include an ox, a plough, household items, cooking utensils, food for six months and 30 pieces of iron sheets per household.
He thanked residents for encouraging their sons to join the Local Defence Units and frontier guards that fight the rebels alongside the army.
While in Gulu on Monday, Museveni wooed the Acholi to vote for him saying, “In past elections you gave me votes manok (few),†he said, adding, “When I look in the basket of Acholi votes, I have to look deep down to see some votes. I don’t mind because I get more votes from other places.â€
Campaigning at Paico P.7 School in Aswa county on Monday, Museveni said despite being denied votes and lies told about him and his Movement government, he had not revenged but had even appointed Acholi to Cabinet, citing state ministers Betty Akech for security and Henry Okello Oryem for international relations.
He said under the Universal Primary Education scheme, the government was paying fees 174,000 pupils in Gulu.
A mysterious fire yesterday gutted Padibe internally displaced people’s (IDPs) camp just hours before President Yoweri Museveni arrived for a rally.
The fire started at 10:00am and razed 3,271 huts, according to the camp commandant. Over 40,000 dwell in the camp located 10km north of Kitgum town.
“I don’t know whether it was sabotage, LRA collaborators, or kifaru (witchcraft). Nobody knows,†Nahaman Ojwee, the Kitgum LC5 chairman, said.
Museveni, who arrived in Kitgum at 2:00pm aboard a helicopter from Gulu, immediately toured the smouldering huts.
Addressing a rally at Padibe Boys Primary School, Museveni commiserated with the residents and directed the Minister for Disaster preparedness to take up the ‘disaster’.
“I am sorry your huts were burnt, even Anaka (another camp in Gulu) was burnt. But I will contribute sh50,000 for each burnt hut (sh164m). I am doing this as President of the republic of Uganda although I am now a candidate for the NRM,†Museveni said.
Museveni said he was aware the people were in the camps because of Kony’s LRA but the problem would be solved soon.
“Kony is ending although you may not believe it,†the President said.
He said rescued abductees and captured former LRA fighters had revealed how weakened and on-the-run Kony was.
Museveni said a few rebels, whose leaders fled to either southern Sudan or DR Congo, were trying to sabotage peace.
He said the government was working on resettling IDPs with a package that would include an ox, a plough, household items, cooking utensils, food for six months and 30 pieces of iron sheets per household.
He thanked residents for encouraging their sons to join the Local Defence Units and frontier guards that fight the rebels alongside the army.
While in Gulu on Monday, Museveni wooed the Acholi to vote for him saying, “In past elections you gave me votes manok (few),†he said, adding, “When I look in the basket of Acholi votes, I have to look deep down to see some votes. I don’t mind because I get more votes from other places.â€
Campaigning at Paico P.7 School in Aswa county on Monday, Museveni said despite being denied votes and lies told about him and his Movement government, he had not revenged but had even appointed Acholi to Cabinet, citing state ministers Betty Akech for security and Henry Okello Oryem for international relations.
He said under the Universal Primary Education scheme, the government was paying fees 174,000 pupils in Gulu.