President Museveni has today announced a government commitment of Shs26 billion as a resettlement package for the remaining members of the Uganda National Rescue Front I (UNRF I) and residual cases from UNRF II in the West Nile region.
The president made the pronouncement during the Peace Day Celebration held at Yumbe Boma Ground in Yumbe District.
The event was held under the theme: "23 Years of Peace and Progress: Uniting West Nile for Socio-Economic Transformation."
Museveni stated that the ex-combatants will be paid in a phased manner, beginning with Shs1 billion immediately, followed by Shs13 billion in the upcoming financial year, and the final Shs12 billion in the subsequent financial year.
"When someone claims we have forgotten the ex-combatants, that person is mistaken—we simply cannot do everything at once," the President said.
"That's why, when I spent five years in the bush in Luwero, I wasn’t there as a tourist. There is a time for everything, and now is the time to address the concerns of the ex-combatants."
He added in Luo, “One by one makes a bundle,” and revealed that Minister Huda Abason Oleru had advised on the need for Shs26 billion.
“I agreed that for this occasion, we would start with Shs1 billion. In the new financial year, we will allocate Shs13 billion, and in the following financial year—when you re-elect NRM—we shall pay the remaining Shs12 billion.”
Beneficiary districts include Pakwach, Zombo, Nebbi, Madi-Okollo, Arua, Maracha, Terego, Koboko, Yumbe, Obongi, Moyo, and Adjumani.
Also speaking at the event, former Inspector General of Police Gen. Edward Kale Kayihura reflected on the long journey to peace:
"Initially, some people thought denouncing rebellion was impossible, but today we are here, reaping the fruits of our sweat. I am, however, sorry that some of the ex-combatants have since passed on."
Representing the Chief of Defence Forces, General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, Lieutenant General Charles Okidi, Commander of the UPDF Air Force, reaffirmed the army’s readiness to handle external threats.
However, he called for urgent attention to internal conflicts.
"While the country is largely peaceful, Your Excellency, we still face threats—particularly the persistent and primitive clashes between residents of Adjumani and Amuru districts."
Minister of Defence and Veteran Affairs, Hon. Jacob Markson Oboth-Oboth, emphasized that the resettlement package is a gesture of goodwill, not an entitlement, urging ex-combatants to use the funds responsibly for personal and community development.
Huda Abason Oleru, Minister of State for Defence and Veteran Affairs, reiterated the government's commitment to fulfilling promises made to former rebel groups, aiming to achieve lasting peace in the region.
In the years following Idi Amin's overthrow in 1979, West Nile became a hotbed of insurgency as several rebel groups emerged, largely composed of former soldiers loyal to the ousted regime.
Among the most prominent were the Uganda National Rescue Front (UNRF) and the West Nile Bank Front (WNBF), both of which drew support from the West Nile region and launched armed campaigns against the central government.
These groups cited marginalisation and revenge for atrocities committed during the post-Amin reprisals as key motivations.
Their insurgencies persisted into the late 1990s, contributing to prolonged instability and militarisation in the region.
The resettlement package seeks to address these long-standing grievances and promote unity and transformation in the region.