ENTEBBE, Uganda — President Yoweri Museveni has approved the creation of new districts carved out of Tororo, proposing a compromise to end the decades-long conflict between the Japadhola and Iteso communities.
Speaking at a meeting at State House, Entebbe, Museveni suggested elevating Tororo Municipality to a neutral city status and establishing three new districts to accommodate both ethnic groups.
“We have agreed on the principle, Tororo becomes a neutral city, and we create three new districts,” Museveni said, specifying Mukuju, Mulanda, and a third district with a neutral name.
The president advised the groups to discuss the third district’s name peacefully. The Iteso community would retain Mukuju and benefit from Tororo City, while the Japadhola would receive Mulanda and the unnamed district.
Museveni criticized the prolonged ethnic conflict, stating, “You people are really wasting time for your people.” He emphasized that the goal is to bring services closer to the people.
He warned against divisive politics based on land and ethnicity, urging leaders to focus on unity and development. “What matters is service, not ownership,” he said.
Vice President Jessica Alupo, who facilitated the discussions, announced that Tororo Municipality would become a city, formed from Tororo North and South constituencies. Kwapa and Nagongera Town Councils would also become municipalities. A new Mulanda District would be created, and another district in the eastern area would be established, with the name and boundaries to be determined.
Minister of Defence and Veterans Affairs Jacob Oboth Oboth commended Alupo’s role in the negotiations. Cultural and religious leaders from both communities attended the meeting.
Museveni stressed that the name “Tororo” should not hinder unity and national development. “We should not get stuck on the name Tororo. What matters most is wealth creation, not the name itself.”
He highlighted the importance of decentralization for service delivery, not ethnic division. “Let us not allow the name of a place to become more important than the wellbeing of our people,” he said.
