SPLIT OF KASESE EXCITES MINORITY TRIBES​

By Deo Akiiki Kalibala

in Kasese—

A move to split Kasese district into four districts has created a lot of excitements among the minority tribes leaving in Kasese district.

All the four minority tribes who include the Bakingwe, Basongora, Banyabindi and Bagabo who have been for long complaining of marginalization  expressed gratitude to the government for accepting the proposal of splitting the district.

Entale Yabanyabindi Erisa Mugisa, the cultural leader of Banyabindi said over the weekend that the creation of new districts will extend services closer to the people and help to solve the problem of marginalization.

“Am so happy that my people will now get improved local government service delivery with the creation of the new districts,” Mugisa said.

The Bagabo who majorly live along the Katwe salt lake in Katwe-Kabatooro town council also noted that for long they have been neglected when it comes to service delivery but now that the government has accepted to grant them a district status that will be history.

“We did not have any political representation in the Kasese district council for many years and now that government has accepted the proposal to grant Katwe a district status all that will be addressed,” Yowana Kiiza  a Mugabo from Katwe town council said.

Basaongora cultural leader Imara Dan Kashagama Ndahura II in a statement issued on Sunday evening said that the creation of new districts in Kasese will help to address the challenge of marginalization among the minority tribes.

Kashagama noted that there is need for co-existence among the different tribes leaving in Kasese as one way of development.

“We need to co-exist because we all need one another, even though we have different cultural and traditional beliefs let us respect our rights,” noted Kashagama.

He said that the split of the district will help to address the challenge of unemployment among the people in the country, and appealed to all the political leaders not to politicize the creation of new districts.

Kashagama appealed to his subjects to prioritize the construction of a cultural headquarters of the Basongora pastoralists at Karungibarole cultural ground in Hima town council Kasese.

He noted that key on his agenda will be to bring on board all stake holders in Kasese in ensuring that there is peace and unity among all the tribes which are in the district.

“Kasese has over five indigenous tribes including the majority Bakonjo, Basongora, Banyabindi, Bakingwe and Bagabo so I need to work with their leaders so that we can all leave in peace and harmony and respect their cultural values as well,” said Kashagama.

The Basongora occupy Hima, Nyakatonzi, Mumkunyu, Karusandara, Muhokya, and Kasese municipality, Bugoye, Kitswamba and Lake Katwe Sub Counties.

While meeting leaders from Kasese district president Museveni agreed to the proposal of splitting Kasese district in Western Uganda. The proposal was presented to the President by NRM Councilors and opinion leaders during a meeting at State House, Entebbe.

The delegation of   47 NRM cadres led by William Thalyakabuya the district NRM caucus chairperson, Mr. Kamalha Johnson Kalyasa the NRM publicity secretary, Mr. Bomera Richard the publicity secretary NRM caucus and Kabiriri Henry of Katwe among others meet the president on 12th, Oct, 2016.

This follows a motion presented to Parliament by the Cabinet in 2012 about  splitting Kasese and later in 2014 when a report by the Committee of Parliament was presented with recommendations, that Cabinet should create more districts after the population census of 2014, starting with the large districts of Kasese, Kibaale, Wakiso, Arua and Kabale, which was approved by Parliament.

However the proposal to split the district is being opposed by all the six Members of Parliament from Kasese district on ground that it will weaken the Rwenzururu kingdom and divide the people in the district.

Addressing a press conference on Saturday on behalf of the other legislators at the FDC’s office in Kasese town Tony Herold, the Bukonzo east member said that they will continue opposing the move in Parliament because it will create division-ism among the people of Kasese.

“As legislators from Kasese we all have the same stand that the district should not be split and we have made it very clear even on the floor of Parliament we shall resist it,” said Herold.

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