Minister Kania Backs Youths over Riot on Job Slots.

Minister Kania Backs Youths over Riot on Job Slots.

By Robert Ariaka

Arua March 30, 2017

Email: ariaka2012robert@gmail.com 
Tel: +256777374441

The minister of state for internal affairs Obiga Mario Kania is in support of the angry youths in Imvepi refugee settlement camp who rioted over denial to get jobs.

The youths on Wednesday turned away the camp commandant Denis Mbaguta and several workers from the refugee aid organizations in Odupi Sub County after their demands for job slots were not met.

Minister Kania was on Thursday responding to the situation at the camps in West Nile region where youths are demanding for fair share in job opportunities because they have offered land for the settlement of the refugees.

Speaking to New Vision in a telephone interview, Kania said the youths are right to demand for jobs since their land for grazing animals and farming has been occupied by the refugees.

Kania wondered why the UNHCR implementing partners are not giving jobs and business opportunities to the local people even after he communicated to them to seat and agree.  

The minister says for jobs like guarding, loading and other petty activities don’t need much qualifications which the locals can be given to balance the job slots.

Trouble started when the youths applied for various posts to work in Imvepi settlement camp but were not considered instead the people taken were those ferried from central Uganda and other parts of the country.

The youths decided on Wednesday to turn away all those ferried to start work with the aid organization.

The youths accused Denis Mbaguta the camp commandant Imvepi for ferrying his relatives and friends for jobs even when some of the works like cooking food, guarding as watchman, counseling among others can be done by them.

The affected aid instigation are Uganda Red Cross society, Samaritus Purs, International Rescue Committee (IRC), and UNHCR among others.

One of the youths identified as Bernard Asraf said they decided to accompany the workers out of the camp to board their buses in which they were ferried to go back until office of the prime minister and the aid organization adhere to their request of balancing job slots in the camp.

Over 200 youths from Imvepi and other parts of Terego Constituencies were disappointed when they were failed from their attempt to get job. They decided to mobilize and blocked the roads for those ferried from outside the district.

Asraf said, the locals have provide land to host the refugees but have nothing to benefit apart from doing hard labour job of sinking latrines, clearing the bush and erecting temporary structures in the camps which undermines their rights.

Another youth only identified as Susan said the various organization advertised by the locals who applied failed to appear in the shortlist. She said because the locals have donated land for the refugees, they need to benefit from the job offers.

Denis Mbaguta the camp commandant said in a telephone interview on Thursday that, it’s true the workers have been turned away but they have communicated to them to report on Monday.

He denied claims of ferrying people from other parts of Uganda to be employed for jobs in the camp. Recently the minister of state for internal affairs Obiga Mario Kania blocked a meeting on refugees to draft a memorandum of understanding which would be taken to parliament to amend the refugee act 2006. Some of the issues addressed in the meeting are the land security, employment of the locals, environmental damage, and water crisis security among others

End