DODOMA: MORE than 7,000 volunteer fighters who helped defeat former Ugandan ruler Idi Amin in 1979 will begin receiving benefits in the 2026/27 financial year following the completion of legal reforms and a nationwide verification exercise.
Prime Minister Dr Mwigulu Nchemba announced the development yesterday while responding to questions during the Prime Minister’s Questions session in the National Assembly, saying all obstacles that had delayed recognition and compensation of the veterans have now been resolved.
The announcement brings to an end a long wait by thousands of former volunteer fighters who answered the nation’s call during the war but were not covered under previous legal frameworks governing veterans’ benefits.
Responding to a question from Njombe Member of Parliament Deo Mwanyika (CCM), who sought to know when the volunteer fighters would receive the compensation they were promised, Dr Nchemba said the government had completed all necessary preparations for the rollout of the programme.
“The payments will start because there is no longer any legal obstacle that was preventing the government from recognising and compensating these fighters. The verification exercise has also been completed,” he said.
The Prime Minister said President Samia Suluhu Hassan directed authorities to expedite the matter, leading to a series of measures aimed at ensuring the veterans are formally recognised and compensated for their contribution to national security.
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According to Dr Nchemba, the first challenge involved the legal framework, as previous laws did not recognise some categories of fighters, particularly volunteers who underwent short-term military training before joining the war effort.
He said the matter was resolved through amendments to legislation governing veterans’ benefits, culminating in a Government Notice issued in June last year that formally recognised the volunteer fighters.
“The legal challenge has been resolved. Through the amendments made and the Government Notice issued last year, these fighters are now legally recognised,” he said.
The Prime Minister said the second phase involved verifying eligible beneficiaries across the country to establish the number of surviving veterans entitled to the benefits.
He said the exercise has been completed and identified approximately 7,200 veterans who qualify for the programme.
“The verification process was successfully concluded. The records show that about 7,200 veterans are eligible to benefit from this programme,” he said.