Museveni will give final position on Jopadhola, Iteso conflict – Minister
President Yoweri Museveni addresses the media on an unspecified date in Rwakitura. PHOTO/FILE/AFP
What you need to know:
- The tensions between the two communities started before Independence in 1962 and led to the demarcations that separated West Budama for Jopadhola from Tororo County for Iteso.
The Minister-in-Charge of General Duties in the Office of Prime Minister, Ms Mary Karooro Okurut, has said President Museveni will soon give a final position regarding granting a district status to Tororo County in Tororo District.
Local leaders say a new district would solve the long standing animosity between the Jopadhola and Iteso communities.
Speaking during a community meeting, organised by the office of the Resident District Commissioner (RDC) together with the Office of Prime Minister at Kwapa Town Council at the weekend, Ms Okurut said the President is aware of the demands raised by locals.
“You don’t need to worry because the matter is before the President and he will soon give his position. I know it has taken time but of course he has been consulting with your leaders,’’ Ms Okurut said.
The minister made the remarks in response to the issues that were raised by residents and local leaders of Tororo County, among them, the outcomes of the 2019 London trip to spell out the actual boundaries.
The 10-member delegation led by then Minister of Lands, Ms Betty Amongi, travelled to Britain to verify with colonial maps the exact location of the Tororo Municipality and its boundaries and to find out whether it falls under Tororo County or West Budama County, but its findings have never been published to-date.
The tensions between the two communities started before Independence in 1962 and led to the demarcations that separated West Budama for Jopadhola from Tororo County for Iteso.
The separation, however, escalated the tensions a few years ago after residents of Tororo County requested Mr Museveni for their own district.
The government agreed to grant Tororo County a district status but the location of Tororo Municipality remained a matter of contention as each group claimed it.
Mr Francis Abulu Onyadi, chairperson of Kwapa Sub-county, said: “The people of Tororo County want the publication of the London report otherwise we are not at peace.”
Mr Onyadi said as part of transparency, the report findings would aid a permanent solution.
The locals also appealed to the government to strengthen its anti-corruption unit of government to monitor cases of fraud across all departments of government.
The RDC, Mr Nickson Owole, urged the residents to always report cases of corrupt officials.
The district chairperson, Ms Stella Imukutet, urged the Office of Prime Minister to scale up community meetings to every sub-county so that locals are able to raise issues affecting them.
