Serere council challenged over creation of new county

Serere, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Samuel Otaala, a resident of Kyere Sub County in Serere district has petitioned the Serere District Council against the resolution for the creation of the Kateta County from Serere County.

On December 21st, 2023, the council approved the creation of the new Kateta County with sub-counties of Kyere, Kateta, Kyere Town Council, and Ochaapa Town Council leaving out Atiira, Olio and Serere Town Council in Serere County.

In his petition to the Council Speaker, Otaala protests the inclusion of Kyere Sub County and Town Council in the proposed Kateta County because they needed an independent county.

Otaala, who contested for the Serere County Parliamentary seat argues that Kyere Sub County has equally a big population that requires county status. He adds that when Kateta Sub County Council resolved for the creation of the new county, other sub-counties that would be incorporated into the new county were not involved.

“We are not against your resolution to make Kateta Sub County, a county but your resolution to merge Kyere Sub County with Kateta is wrong and on invalid grounds,” the petition reads in part.

According to the district projection for 2020, Kateta Sub County has the highest population in Serere district with 67,770 people followed by Kyere Sub County, 59,687, and Bugondo 44,217 people. The district with 15 sub-counties and town councils already has three counties (Serere, Kasilo, and Pingire) with a total population of 356,300 by 2020 projections.

Henry Opio, the Serere District Council Speaker said that the petition is based on false grounds with selfish individual interests. He notes that the process was communicated to all the lower local government councils.

During the Serere County by-election, the National Resistance Movement (NRM) Secretariat team represented by Rosemary Sseninde and Emmanuel Dombo among others, raised the issue of expanding the constituency. They urged the district to consider creating a new constituency.

Serere District Council also approved the creation of nine more sub-counties and town councils in the district, totaling 24 sub-counties, when confirmed by the Ministry of Local Government.

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