Tracing border conflict between Jopadhola, Iteso in Tororo

The Electoral Commission (EC) this week temporarily suspended the ongoing by-election preparation to elect the Tororo District LC5 chairperson because of violence. The election was supposed to be held on June 29 to replace Apollo Jaramogi who died early this year.
Acting EC chairperson Aisha Lubega in a statement on Tuesday said the decision had been informed by two separate incidents which threatened the safety of the electoral officials.
The first incident happened on May 19, during which EC officials led by chairperson Simon Byabakama had to be whisked away from enraged residents in Mukujju sub-county, Tororo County North, by police.

Another incident happened the following day when EC staff were attacked in Mella Sub-county and EC property damaged.
The incidents follow weeks of protest by the Iteso from Tororo County who are demanding a district status for the area. The Iteso, who had threatened to boycott the June 29 elections, cite marginalisation by the Jopadhola who are the dominant ethnic community.

Genesis of the tensions
Tensions between the Jopadhola and Iteso can be traced back to pre-independence days. To demonstrate that the Iteso needed their own county, it is said that one of their leaders ate a live rat in front of the colonial administrators to demonstrate their seriousness. But the tensions were soon calmed after the 1947 demarcation of boundaries that separated West Budama (for the Jopadhola) from (Tororo County for the Iteso).
After peaceful coexistence for more than 50 years, the tensions however, re-emerged in 1998 after residents of Tororo County [the Iteso] requested President Museveni for their own district. Then area MP Paul Etiang, while speaking at a rally in Molo Sub-county, told the President they were being marginalised.
The President then intervened and held meetings with Iteso and Jopadhola leaders to resolve the standoff.

Mr Ignatius Okong Okiror, 76, a former district vice chairperson who attended the meetings with the President and was at the forefront of agitating for an independent district for the Iteso, says the quest for the new district was as a result of unfair distribution of resources in the district.
He, for instance, says they felt side-lined when it came to appointments to the district commissions and boards since most of the time arguments were subjected to voting, where the West Budama councillors had the majority.
“After hatching the move for an independent district, we managed to present our memorandum before the President at Kapangor Primary School in Molo sub-county, Tororo County, through the area MP [Etiang] and the President promised he was going to act,” Okiror says.

He says the President then summoned Iteso, Jopadhola and Banyole leaders to Rwakitura in 2004 where he said he had consulted with the law and there was no problem with granting Tororo and Bunyole counties independent districts.
After the Rwakitura visit, the council sat and councillors from Bunyole and Tororo County presented their motions to have separate districts based on the colonial boundary. Then district speaker Stephen Cheroba [RIP] put the motion to a vote and 20 councillors voted in favour of the motion while 19 opposed it.
The council meeting was attended by, among others, Dr Crispus Kiyonga, then Defence minister. It was after that that the President then called elders from the three counties to Mbale State Lodge in 2005.

“The President first called in leaders from Budama, then called the Banyole who upon entering the room were simply told ‘you go. I have given you your district.’ But when it came to us the Iteso, the President said we still had issues,” Okiror recalls.
From Mbale, the President proceeded to Molo Sub-county, Tororo County, where he addressed residents. “He [Mr Museveni] said he had been told that in some sub-counties people were not demanding for a district and he was going to constitute a commission of inquiry before he makes a final decision,” Okiror recalls.
This did not go down well with some residents, to the extent that two men emerged from the crowd with live rats. One of them did the unexpected; he tore into the rat with his teeth.

Marginalisation allegations
Speaking to Sunday Monitor on Friday, former MP Paul Etiang said he presented the proposal to President Museveni to give a separate district to Tororo County as had been done to Bugwere County [now Pallisa District] and Samia Bugwe County [now Busia District].
“Basing on the population variation, Western Budama has majority population unlike Tororo County and this limits Tororo County from taking leadership position for either district, Woman Member of Parliament of the district chairperson,” retired ambassador Etiang says.

“In council, West Budama has majority of the councillors – 26 councillors against 15 from Tororo County – and when an argument is put to vote, the majority takes lead.”
However, Mr John Okeya, the district speaker, dismisses any talk of marginalisation. “It’s evident that Tororo County is the most lucky area where service delivery is 100 per cent covered in terms of school construction, water coverage, etc. compared to the other part of the district. So when my brothers complain about being marginalised, it beats my understanding,” Mr Okeya says.
How this recurring headache will be resolved will test the government’s brinkmanship. For now, the by-election for Tororo LC5 hands in the balance and so is the question of a district status for Tororo County.

Battle for Municipality

Among the issues that are said to have delayed the granting of Tororo County a district is the question of Tororo Municipality. The Iteso want to break away from Tororo District and take with the municipality which they say was originally a parish in Tororo County.
However, former Tororo Municipality town clerk Mark Olinga says other than sticking to the 1947 boundaries, boundaries of 1900 and 1926 should also be considered were Tororo County was originally East Budama.