Minister Kaboyo delivers aid, calls for unity at Kasese memorial Service

Last week, residents of Kasese District held a powerful memorial service in Kitholhu Subcounty to honour nine families who lost their breadwinners in a brutal 1989 attack by NALU and ADF rebels. 

The ceremony, attended by the 1989 Widows Association, marked 36 years since the tragedy. 

Hon. Alice Kaboyo, Minister of State for Luwero Triangle, and Hon. Godfrey Baluku Kabbyanga Kiime, Minister of State for ICT, led the tributes. Minister Kaboyo praised the victims as brave and loyal supporters of the NRM government who “fell while serving their nation with courage.”

In a show of affirmative action, Minister Kaboyo delivered substantial relief from the Office of the Prime Minister’s Luwero–Rwenzori programme. She officially handed over a total of 800 iron sheets to improve housing conditions for affected families. 

She further detailed the financial package: each of the nine families would receive 50 iron sheets and an ‘akasiimo’ of 5 million shillings, with widows receiving an additional 1.5 million shillings. She stressed the importance of community unity, urging residents to form SACCOs for developmental cooperation.

Central to the Minister’s address was the need for national healing. Rooting her message in the theme of the National Prayer Breakfast, Minister Kaboyo called for forgiveness and reconciliation. 

"Forgiveness and reconciliation are what our country needs most," she stated, urging all Ugandans to avoid planning or executing evil, regardless of the injustices faced. The message underscored the President’s consistent emphasis on peace and progress through unity.

During the proceedings, a survivor’s representative appealed for continued government support, requesting a monument, health centres, and jobs for the orphans. 

The Minister responded immediately to a concern about unlisted victims from the Independence Day attack, directing local leaders to identify and verify additional affected families for possible inclusion among the beneficiaries. The memorial concluded with prayers for lasting peace in the region.