Pay ex-soldiers â€" Museveni
President Yoweri Museveni has directed the defence ministry to pay ex-servicemen some money, despite their failure to win a sh1.4 trillion lawsuit against the Government.
By Frank Mugabi
President Yoweri Museveni has directed the defence ministry to pay ex-servicemen some money, despite their failure to win a sh1.4 trillion lawsuit against the Government.
The Minister of Defence, Dr. Crispus Kiyonga, said the President made the decision after considering the social and security implications of the matter.
Kiyonga told journalists after meeting representatives of the ex-servicemen at Heritage Park in Arua town on Sunday that the payments would be effected before the end of this year.
The ex-soldiers were represented by 30 people drawn from all the districts in West Nile, where the bulk of ex-servicemen come from.
Kiyonga explained that the money would be drawn from the pension and gratuity vote in the Ministry of Finance. “By the end of June, we will have calculated how much each individual should get and by the end of July, they will have known how much they will receive,†he stated.
He said the payments would be based on the seniority and time of service of the claimants. The ex-servicemen claimed they are about 45,000, but Kiyonga said the figure could be much smaller.
In the suit at the High Court and the Court of Appeal, the former soldiers had argued that they were still members of the army and, therefore, deserved to be paid arrears, including salary, food and clothing allowances.
The case was dismissed by the Supreme Court.
President Yoweri Museveni has directed the defence ministry to pay ex-servicemen some money, despite their failure to win a sh1.4 trillion lawsuit against the Government.
The Minister of Defence, Dr. Crispus Kiyonga, said the President made the decision after considering the social and security implications of the matter.
Kiyonga told journalists after meeting representatives of the ex-servicemen at Heritage Park in Arua town on Sunday that the payments would be effected before the end of this year.
The ex-soldiers were represented by 30 people drawn from all the districts in West Nile, where the bulk of ex-servicemen come from.
Kiyonga explained that the money would be drawn from the pension and gratuity vote in the Ministry of Finance. “By the end of June, we will have calculated how much each individual should get and by the end of July, they will have known how much they will receive,†he stated.
He said the payments would be based on the seniority and time of service of the claimants. The ex-servicemen claimed they are about 45,000, but Kiyonga said the figure could be much smaller.
In the suit at the High Court and the Court of Appeal, the former soldiers had argued that they were still members of the army and, therefore, deserved to be paid arrears, including salary, food and clothing allowances.
The case was dismissed by the Supreme Court.