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Jacob Markson Oboth the minister of defense has said his new appointment was in the right direction in amicably resolving the impending Tororo political conflicts pitying the resident of Tororo county (Iteso) agents those of West Budama County (Jopadhola)

Oboth said the matters of Tororo and Bukedi are now within his hands and the residents should be prepared to benefit from his influence.

‘’Leadership is influence, I should be in position to influence the warring parties in Tororo district so as to come into consensus without taking any bias on the subject matter. You should be able to benefit from this position and I believe now have that influence’’ Oboth said.

The two communities have been in conflict since 1998 when resident of Tororo county demanded for self autonomy over alleged marginalization in terms of leaders and job allocation since their counterparts from West Budama where outnumbering in population.

However, the location of Tororo County remained the main source of conflict since it was claimed by both parties until last year when president Museveni while meeting the NRM party MP’s during a retreat at National leadership Institute Kyankwanzi declared that Tororo municipality entirely belonged to Tororo County.

The president made the pronouncement according to the map that was retrieved by government delegations that he sent to the commonwealth archives in London in 2017 after the West Budama team disagreed with maps presented by Lands ministry officials at Statehouse Entebbe.

Oboth said his appointment demonstrates the trust president Museveni has for the people of Tororo and Bukedi sub region saying it has re-awaken even those that have been biased against the government to support the ruling government.

Oboth made the remarks on Thursday at Siwa primary school grounds where a huge crowd of his supporters welcomed him home following the recent cabinet reshuffle.

Kwar Adola handing over the regalia to Oboth (left) for nation protections. (Photo by Faustine Odeke)

A mammoth crowd of boda boda riders and district leaders received him at Osukuru- corner junction along Malaba-Jinja highway and escorted him to the district headquarters where he met the district leaders before proceeding to Siwa for a public rally.

‘’If there is any tribe that has sharp and good memories of preserving matters of national security then it’s the Japadhola. During Oboth regime we had Oboth Ofumbi as minister of defense and today here we are in the NRM government.’’ he said.

Presiding over the function, his highness Kwara Adhola Stephen Owori thanked the president for considering Tororo in the cabinet appointment after over 37 years of the NRM reign.

He said there was no other suitable person that would be entrusted with the position of the defense ministry appointment apart from the Japadhola who still have the memories of the position that was once held by the late Oboth Ofumbi during the reign of Iddi Amin Dada.

The cultural leader challenged the minister to use the position to influence decisions and policies that will help to address challenges affecting Tororo district and Bukedi region as a whole.

The district chairperson John Okea said the residents have expressed total excitement and love for the government adding that even the Uganda People’s congress diehards who had never voted for president have shown their willingness to support president Museveni the 2026 general election.

The resident District Commissioner [RDC] Nixon Owole asked the residents of Wet Budama central and Tororo at large to guard the position very jealously.

‘’Initially you had two eyes in government but one eye is missing now with the retirement of the former Inspector General of police (IGP) Martin Okoth Ochola, you need now to guard this remaining eye jealously from any injuries’’ Owole said.

Equally Richard Owere Machika an elder said such appointments motivates and makes citizens build trust in the regimes.