A fresh standoff has emerged between the Teso War Victims and the government after the victims, through their legal representatives, rejected attempts to equate court-ordered compensation with the government’s ongoing rehabilitation and restocking programs.
In a strongly worded letter dated September 23, 2025, addressed to Vice President Jessica Alupo and signed by Omongole & Co. Advocates on behalf of the victims, the claimants demanded immediate clarification and separation of the two processes, warning that any substitution would amount to contempt of court.
The letter follows growing public statements attributed to Vice President Alupo suggesting that Teso war victims had consented to being included in the government’s rehabilitation and restocking initiative as an alternative to direct monetary compensation.
The victims, however, insist that no such agreement was ever reached, and any attempt to replace compensation with political programs would violate binding court orders.
The Teso War Victims’ legal team highlighted several key court cases in which judgments were made in favor of individuals and groups seeking reparations for lives, cattle, and property lost during the insurgencies and cattle rustling episodes that ravaged the Teso sub-region.
Among the cases cited are:
- Hon. Okupa Elijah and 2020 Ors vs. Attorney General and Ors (Misc. Application No. 14 of 2005) in which over UGX 120 billion was awarded.
- Imodot Paprus Edimu and Others vs. Attorney General (Civil Suit No. 09 of 2012), awarded UGX 26 billion.
- Oluka John and 8 Ors vs. Attorney General (Civil Suit No. 122 of 2009), awarded UGX 1 billion.
- Julius Ocen and Others vs. Attorney General (Civil Suit No. 292 of 2010), which carried the largest award of over UGX 4 trillion.
“These court orders are binding on government and must be respected,” the letter reads.
“Our primary concerns and demands are on receiving the compensation as directed by the court. Any actions perceived as undermining this directive would erode our trust in the government’s commitment to uphold the rule of law.”
The claimants accused the Vice President rehabilitation team and other government officials of advancing what they termed a “false narrative” that victims had agreed to be included in rehabilitation programs.
They argued that the restocking initiative stems from “a falsehood that the lawyers ate the money” an allegation they categorically denied.
According to the letter, government leaders allegedly misled the President into launching restocking programs in Teso as a replacement for compensation, which has been pending for years.
“You have convinced respectable leaders to form a committee based on this falsehood,” the letter charged, warning that committee members could equally be cited for contempt of court.
The victims clarified that they are not opposed to government-led development or rehabilitation projects in the region but insist that such programs should run separately from the compensation process.
“While we have no issue with the government program running side by side with court-ordered compensation, we totally object to the narrative that restocking replaces court-ordered compensation,” the statement emphasized.
The letter further stressed that including victims in the rehabilitation plan without their consent or in defiance of court orders would be illegal.
“Therefore, including the Teso war victims in the rehabilitation/restocking plan without their consent and in contravention of the court order would amount to contempt of court,” the claimants’ lawyers noted.
The victims also dismissed claims that they had been consulted.
They allege that the Vice President selectively invited a few political leaders, mostly from the ruling NRM party, to portray the process as a broad consultation.
“No invitation was given to war claimants to put forward their position,” the letter stated.
“Your selected persons did not hold the views of war claimants who are certified by court and are a registered organization. We therefore clearly and unequivocally reject, on behalf of our clients, any false narrative that Teso war victims are part of the rehabilitation program.”
The war victims demanded that government immediately stop conflating the two processes.
They urged Vice President Alupo’s office to respect the court’s rulings and ensure timely payment of compensation.
“If the NRM government is not willing to respect court orders and pay compensation to the people of Teso, make it clear, and we will leave the rest to God,” the letter concluded.
The dispute places the government in a tight spot as it navigates growing pressure to implement costly court awards while also managing broader development programs in historically marginalized regions.
Legal analysts warn that failure to respect court orders could trigger contempt proceedings against state officials and undermine public confidence in Uganda’s judicial system.
For the thousands of families in Teso who lost loved ones, cattle, and property during the turbulent years of insurgency, the message remains clear: government rehabilitation efforts are welcome, but they cannot and should not substitute court-ordered compensation.
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The rehabilitation project is necessary, the court rullings are as well important because they are a backing to the rehabilitation . However the key discussion is on Rehabilitation which has a land mark (Elections) and is for all, the compensation is for a few and I know it will come with a lot of verification and legalities of Administrators of those Estates,,,,and bureaucracies.
So for now we are for Rehabilitation…………
Bro, Verification for members for compensation was done by court, after giving a graze period of a joint verification which the attorney general failed to comply, after that period court had already put that failure to comply with court order, court will have no option but proceed on judgement and give decree.
So as we talk we really need government to comply with court orders