By Emmanuel Okol

Tororo district delegation that came to meet the Vice President Maj. (Rtd)to resolve the Tororo district conflict, has unanimously agreed to elevate Tororo municipality to a city status within the current municipality boundary.

After submissions by both the teams from West Budama and Tororo County, the meeting agreed that Tororo municipality be elevated to a city.

However, a sharp disagreement is currently on for which side to retain the name Tororo district Earlier yesterday, Tororo County requested two districts, and West Budama equally asked for two districts After thorough analysis, the vice president who was sitting in for president Yoweri Museveni advised that the government can only grant Tororo district three administrative units, which are a district for Tororo County and one district for West Budama plus Tororo the city.

She also informed the house that the government currently cannot shield the burden of many administrative units and encouraged the delegation to receive the two districts, but can later split the ones they have received.

She also told the gathering that Mukuju is already a gazetted district and was only waiting for operationalization, so it should be first trucked.

The Tororo district woman, MP Sarah Achieng Opendi, supported the vice president’s position of having two districts plus a city inTororo municipality.

Opendi desired that Tororo city would retain the name Tororo and the two new districts would adopt neutral names however, she was too quick to suggest that the two new districts can equally adopt Tororo in their names, for example Tororo- Mukuju and Kisoko Mukuju.

The West Budama South MP said that Tororo district is already in existence, and it can’t be created as some people were thinking Dr. Odoi Tanga asked the meeting to first truck the resolution of the city and later go back to resolve the issue of who takes the Tororo district name Annet Nyaketcho, the former MP of Tororo North County, asked the team to follow the precedent set by the previously elevated municipality, for example, Soroti, Mbale that retained the names of the district.

The minister Jacob Markson Oboth Oboth said that the matter of who retains the name Tororo district is just a smaller component that can be resolved easily if the team at the meeting only tamed their ego, noting that there is no way a new administrative unit can go with the old name.

The conflict between the Japadhola (also known as Adhola) and Iteso communities in Tororo, Uganda, primarily stemmed from the proposed division of the district and control over the Tororo Municipality. 

The Japadhola believed that Tororo Municipality is part of their identity, while the Iteso claim it belongs to Tororo County.

This disagreement had led to tensions and conflicts between the two communities, with government previous attempts to resolve the issue having been met with resistance from the leaders.

The vice president further extended her appreciation to religious leaders, saying over the years, they have demonstrated a good working relationship with the NRM government.

“You have demonstrated unity amongst yourselves, but also unity amongst the population. Thank you for uniting us and also instilling morals and values to the flock, which are attributes that are very important in ensuring that all the people live responsible lives,” Alupo said.

She urged the Iteso and Jopadhola communities of Tororo district to become one people through intermarriage, friendship, and many other ways.

Alupo asked leaders to always explore solutions that are quick and easily implementable by the government so that our people stop the stress of struggling amongst themselves, but instead unite for development and prosperity, like other regions are doing.

“Our people should start speaking and mixing freely without fear so that the government can also have the opportunity to serve the people of Tororo district the way it’s serving the people of other districts smoothly,” Alupo said.   

The day-long meeting was attended by His Royal Highness Papa Emorimor Paul Sande Etomeileng Emolot, Kwar Adhola Moses Stephen Owor, State minister for defence (general duties).

Oboth-Oboth, Minister of State for Disability Affairs, is Hellen Asamo, and she is a Member of Parliament representing Persons with Disabilities and Dorcas Okalany, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Lands, Housing, and Urban Development,  Others included; the Most Rev. Emmanuel Obbo, the third Metropolitan Archbishop of Tororo, Rt. Rev. Samuel Bogere Egesa, the Bishop of Bukedi Diocese in the Church of Uganda, and representatives from the Tororo Muslim fraternity and the Pentecostal Assemblies of God, Tororo district.

Others were members of Parliament, the technical teams, Tororo LC-V Chairperson, Municipality mayor, the district counselors, and LC111 chairpersons and counselors among other leaders from the district.