By Nathan Etengu

LOCAL council (LC) chairpersons from Tororo county resigned en-masse on Tuesday in protest against the decision by the local government ministry to deny Tororo municipality to be part of the proposed Tororo district.

The chairpersons from over 400 villages, parish chairpersons and their sub-county counterparts handed over their official stamps and documents to the resident district commissioner, Yasin Dauda Kasibante. They later burnt a copy of the Prof. Foster Byarugaba commission of inquiry report, which denied the inclusion of Tororo municipality to the proposed new district to be carved out of Tororo county.

Kasibante confirmed that the copy of the commission’s report was burnt in front of his office. He also confirmed receiving all the stamps from the local leaders.

“They were peaceful in their demonstration. They said they did not want to associate with the Brarugaba report that intended to give their land to West Budama county,” Kasibante said.

He said the leaders vowed not to participate in any elections, including the grassroots election for the NRM party village organs that took place yesterday.
He said he promised the demonstrators that he would forward the matter to the responsible offices, including the president’s.

“I assured them that the president, being a listening leader, would attend to their grievances,” Kasibante said.

He, however, said it was an absurd situation for the district at a time when the parliamentary committee on local government and public service was due to visit the area to gather people’s views over the creation of the new district.