By Fred Kiva
The Ministry of Defense and Veteran Affairs is to embark on a countrywide exercise to verify documents and files for veterans/survivor beneficiaries and Ex-Gratia.
The exercise to take place in the various regions of Uganda, kicks off on July 8th and concludes on August 5th. According to the Defense Ministry statement, the verification teams will move through the regions of Acholi/Lango, Westnile, Karamoja/Teso, Bugisu/Bukedi, Busoga, West/East Buganda and Ankole/Kigezi, Rwenzori.
The teams will be picking documents, which are missing in the claim files for veterans, survivor beneficiaries and EX-Gratia in the respective region districts on dates that will be announced. Documents such as discharge book, National Identity card and Bank statement among others, will be required for living veterans, while letters of administration, death certificate of the militant among others, will be required for deceased veterans.
“The claimants are required to visit their respective district headquarters and contact the following stakeholders; Resident District Commissioners (RDCs), Chief Administrative Officers, District Internal Security Officers and Zonal Pension officers,” the statement shared by Defense Spokesperson Brig Richard Karemire indicates.
At the beginning of this year, State Minister for Defence and Veteran Affairs, in charge Veteran Affairs, Bright Rwamirama stressed government’s commitment to clearing the military pension and gratuity backlog by the year 2020. He said government would allocate the required funds, adding that the Ministry had commissioned a taskforce to conduct a countrywide completion of documentation for all unpaid military veterans and their survivors.
