The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
COMMENT | DR OPIO PHILLIP | I chose to remain silent on the Tororo split issue initially to allow due process to unfold. However, fundamental questions persist—particularly regarding the selection criteria for the delegates who met with the Vice President last week and later with His Excellency the President.
While the creation of new districts is constitutionally permissible when grounded in demographic and economic justification, the Tororo case reveals a troubling divergence. Here, the impetus appears rooted not in administrative logic but in tribal politics, as exemplified by the delegations being led by the Emorimor (Teso chief) and Tieng Adhola (Jopadhola chief).
Implications of Chiefdom-Led District Creation
1. Tribal Balkanization and Systemic Exclusion
Dangerously, this approach risks fostering tribal exceptionalism, where new districts are perceived as ethnic monopolies. Minority communities within these boundaries—particularly those culturally affiliated with “the other side”—face existential threats: exclusion from political participation, economic disenfranchisement, and the normalization of divisive rhetoric like “Return to your own district.” Without constitutional safeguards, we risk institutionalizing apartheid-like segregation.
2. The Chiefdom Governance Paradox
Chiefdoms derive legitimacy from cultural stewardship, not territorial jurisdiction. By aligning districts with specific ethnic monarchies, we inadvertently disinherit subjects residing outside new boundaries. Are these citizens now stateless under their own chiefs? Such a precedent compels Ugandans to choose between ancestral identity and civic belonging—a false dichotomy that erodes national cohesion.
In conclusion, if unchecked, this model will replicate across Uganda, transforming administrative units into tribal fiefdoms. We must recenter the debate on constitutional compliance—not ancestral claims.
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Dr. Opio Phillip is a Lecturer, Mountains of the Moon University | This is adapted from Whatsapp
