The Uganda Peoples Defense forces – UPDF has today started the verification exercise for more than 1,000 veterans in Hoima district.
The exercise is meant to physically verify all the beneficiaries on the military pension payroll that the UPDF inherited from the ministry of public service.
More than 1,000 veterans on Saturday morning turned up at the Hoima Resident District Commissioner – RDC’s offices to be verified.
According to UPDF, although they have been paying its pensioners, they have not been sure of the total number of the beneficiaries and therefore they want to know whether the people who have been benefiting are genuine or not.
The exercise is also targeting pension claimants and beneficiaries that have never accessed the payroll.
Maj. Ninsiima Rwemijuma, the spokesperson for the Rwenzori-Bunyoro Veterans verification team explains that some of the required documents needed during the verification exercise include a discharge certificate, National identity card and bank statement among others.
He says those who lost their documents should go to police and make a formal report so that they can be assisted accordingly.
He adds that some of the claimants are forging letters of administration from court by just photocopying those of their colleagues and National identity cards which is not allowed.
Rwemijuma further explains that the exercise is also being frustrated by the presence of conmen who are extorting money from the claimants in order to connect them to the verification team.
He warns such individuals to immediately do away with the habit since they will be arrested and charged accordingly.
Lieutenant Jackson Mbabazi, one of the claimants told Uganda Radio network that he joined the NRA bush war in 1985 and he was discharged in 1995 adding that since then, he has not been getting his pension.
Homizdus Dasimulindwa, another veteran from Nyakambugu village in Buhanika sub county in Hoima asked the government to expedite the process of paying them since it’s long overdue.
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