A group of aging former Local Defence Unit (LDU) combatants from Tororo County in Tororo District have come out publicly to express deep frustration over what they call years of abandonment by the government, despite their contributions to restoring peace in Uganda.
Chanting songs they once sang during the war, the ex-combatants—some now frail and limping—gathered in an emotional assembly to recount their journey that began in 1987.
They say they were recruited that year, trained militarily, and deployed across the country to fight rebellion and stabilize Uganda after the fall of the Obote regime.
According to Stephen Obwana, the chairperson of the group, many of them served on the frontlines for more than six years without receiving any formal remuneration.
“We were deployed and worked for six years without any pay. We came back empty-handed. To date, we have written letter after letter to the district authorities but in vain,” Obwana said.
The veterans, numbering over a hundred, claim they lost valuable property, families, and comrades during the years of armed struggle.
Despite this, they allege the government has never acknowledged their sacrifice nor offered them any form of compensation or support.
Okware Marks, one of the former LDUs, recalled the painful cost of the war on his personal life.
“I remember when I was picked, I abandoned my family. When I got back, I found no home. Up to today, I can’t tell where they went,” he said with a heavy heart.
Many of the veterans say they returned from war to face poverty, with no source of income and no assistance to rebuild their lives.
The lack of support, they say, has made it difficult to provide for their families or educate their children.
Otabong Albino, another member of the group, called on the government to recognize their plight.
“We need government to come to our situation. It’s really tough on us. We have seen government compensating several people—why not us? Let the President also think about us, we beg,” he pleaded.
Records show that Tororo County alone registered more than 1,000 LDU members in 1987. Today, only about 160 are still alive, many of whom are elderly and in poor health.
The group is now appealing to the government for economic empowerment programs, medical support, and a formal recognition of their service to the country.
They say time is running out, and if no action is taken soon, their legacy and sacrifices may vanish with them.