Lugbara chiefs rally against teenage pregnancy, land grabbing

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Cultural leaders in the Lugbara chiefdom have marked the second coronation anniversary of the Vurra paramount chief, Nayon Adroni, with strong calls to end teenage pregnancy, protect land rights and promote food security.

The ceremony, held in Ajia subcounty, Arua district on April 25, 2026, drew clan chiefs, elders and community members.

According to Ismael Tuku, the prime minister of the Lugbara cultural institution, Ajia subcounty was deliberately selected as the venue for the coronation because it has some of the highest teenage pregnancy rates in Arua district, and leaders wanted to take the message directly to the people.

"We deliberately chose Ajia subcounty to sensitise residents on guiding their children to end the vice. I therefore urge parents to take full responsibility for their children," Tuku said.

Susan Ezatia, the gender, labour and social development minister in the Lugbara Cultural Institution, appealed to parents to provide for their children, especially girls, so that they are not lured by petty gifts.

"If her needs are met, she will stay in school and this will reduce the rate of teenage pregnancies in Ajia subcounty, Arua district,” continued Ezatia.

Martha Ondoga Tiko, the lands minister in the Lugbara cultural institution, cautioned the Lugbara against the irrational sale of ancestral land.

"Land is the best asset to leave for children and should be used for farming, housing, and development. Use it for cultivation, building and other developments," Tiko echoed.



Youth and responsibility

Lemeriga Fadhil, the prime minister of the Aringa kingdom, warned youth against drug abuse, noting that addiction to substances like miraa and opium pushes many into theft, which often leads to arrest or death.

"You begin consuming these drugs very early in the morning up to midnight and you have very little time at home and you are even married, you have children, you have got to pay school fees, buy food, shelter them, clothes and pay medical bills for your families, and with little or no money to spend, this sends into desperate ways of getting money where you go and pick someone’s chicken or goat, you risk getting arrested or killed," he lamented.

Cosmas Ayikobua, the LC5 chairperson-elect for Arua district, thanked chief Adroni for promoting unity and called on cultural leaders to work hand in hand with the government.

Candini Luiji, former councillor for Arivu subcounty, emphasised education, urging parents to keep all children in school.

In his remarks, Nayon Adroni, the chief of Vurra in Arua district, appealed for respect for widows and warned against land grabbing.

"Is there any widow among you whose land has been grabbed? Please report the issue to the office of the Lugbara cultural institution so that we can come to your help," said Adroni.

He urged the people of Vurra to return to farming to avoid hunger, noting that Vurra used to be the food basket of West Nile, but the situation has changed.

He also called on pregnant mothers to deliver at health centres and urged nurses to treat them with care.

Jimmy Agenunga Njuni III, the king of the Ndrukpa, challenged Members of Parliament to pass laws that protect citizens’ rights.

Citing the hotly debated Sovereignty Bill, he said MPs should not pass laws that separate people from their relatives and tasked voters to hold their leaders accountable.

"How do you protect a house by locking the children outside?" he asked. "When you tell a son in America that he cannot send help to build his father’s borehole without the government’s permission, is that sovereignty? Is that not a new tax on love?" he asked, further questioning how the gap-filled religious organisations, and NGOs in basic service delivery would be addressed should those contributions be limited or removed.

The Ndrukpa king echoed the message to Members of Parliament in West Nile that they did not go to Parliament to close the door to their people, but to open the doors, urging them to be wise in their decision-making.