Police arrested several leaders from the Forum for Democratic Change party last Friday in Soroti. The group includes FDC President Patrick Amuriat Oboi, along with three Members of Parliament—Joan Alobo, Tom Julius Ekudo, and Jonathan Ebwaru. They face charges after organizing protests about cattle compensation. According to party Secretary General Nathan Mafabi, these leaders will appear before the Soroti court today at 8:00 AM.
The arrested protesters had blocked roads and burned tires on Soroti Main Street under their campaign slogan "No Cow - No Vote." Their demonstration started at FDC offices in Akisim before moving downtown and disrupting traffic. The police charged them with unlawful assembly, creating a public nuisance, and assault. The FDC reported yesterday that these detained members could not meet with their families or lawyers since their arrest.
Their protest happened shortly after elders from the Teso area visited the National Unity Platform headquarters in Kampala. These elders wanted help pushing the government to pay them for livestock lost during conflicts. Security forces later arrested about 40 of these elders after they left the NUP offices in Makerere-Kavule. The compensation claims relate to cattle lost during the Lord's Resistance Army rebellion and other attacks in the Teso region.
This situation upset Parliament Speaker Anita Among, who comes from Teso herself. She criticized Opposition Leader Joel Ssenyonyi and the NUP for meeting with these elders. Amongst stated that Parliament handles compensation funding decisions, not political parties. She expressed disappointment about seeing elderly men from her region at NUP offices seeking help with their claims.
Ssenyonyi defended his actions when responding to these criticisms. He pointed out that people have the right to visit any registered political party for assistance. He asked why he should turn away citizens who came asking for help with their compensation issues. The Ministry of Justice had identified more than 1,200 war claimants from Teso for verification by late 2023. The government later told Parliament they finished checking claims from people in the Teso, Lango, and Acholi regions.
The arrested protesters had blocked roads and burned tires on Soroti Main Street under their campaign slogan "No Cow - No Vote." Their demonstration started at FDC offices in Akisim before moving downtown and disrupting traffic. The police charged them with unlawful assembly, creating a public nuisance, and assault. The FDC reported yesterday that these detained members could not meet with their families or lawyers since their arrest.
Their protest happened shortly after elders from the Teso area visited the National Unity Platform headquarters in Kampala. These elders wanted help pushing the government to pay them for livestock lost during conflicts. Security forces later arrested about 40 of these elders after they left the NUP offices in Makerere-Kavule. The compensation claims relate to cattle lost during the Lord's Resistance Army rebellion and other attacks in the Teso region.
This situation upset Parliament Speaker Anita Among, who comes from Teso herself. She criticized Opposition Leader Joel Ssenyonyi and the NUP for meeting with these elders. Amongst stated that Parliament handles compensation funding decisions, not political parties. She expressed disappointment about seeing elderly men from her region at NUP offices seeking help with their claims.
Ssenyonyi defended his actions when responding to these criticisms. He pointed out that people have the right to visit any registered political party for assistance. He asked why he should turn away citizens who came asking for help with their compensation issues. The Ministry of Justice had identified more than 1,200 war claimants from Teso for verification by late 2023. The government later told Parliament they finished checking claims from people in the Teso, Lango, and Acholi regions.
