Tear gas rocks Tororo town

Police in Tororo town on Friday afternoon fired tear gas to disperse Jopadhola communities who had stormed the town attempting to disrupt the planed Iteso heritage day festival.

The three day sixth festival kicked started Friday morning at King George Memorial stadium in Tororo municipality under heavy police deployment.

The protestors reportedly descended to Tororo town after holding a meeting in Nagongera town council in West Budama County and started by blocking Nagongera road with stones and burning tyres forcing the police to swing in action.

After they started pelting the police with stones, they were tear gassed to force them to flee into hiding while others were arrested and locked up at Tororo central police station.

 The police also impounded two saloon cars that were loaded with sticks and stones that police suspected to be used by the protestors.

Most of the arrested confessed that they had been instructed by some leaders from Adhola community which the police said were going to be investigated and charged for inciting violence. As the Japadhola were in running battle with the police, the Iteso were conducting their celebrations as planned.

The protest comes just two days after the Adhola Cultural Institution through their Prime Minister Richard Josel Obbo warned that they were ready to resist at any cost any attempt by the Iteso's to force holding their cultural festival in Tororo municipality.

He said that under all circumstances, King George Memorial Stadium Tororo is a revered Heritage and Coronation ground for the Jopadhola because this is where His Royal Highness Kwar Adhola was installed as the king of Padhola on Saturday August 07, 1999 where His Highness Papa Eteso sent a delegation led by the late Brigadier Opolot to represent him while Hon. Moses Ali represented the president of the republic of Uganda.

He said by failing to seek formal permission from Kwar Adhola, is a sign of  provocation to the Jopadhola and its not acceptable well aware that Tororo Municipality is considered as the only district town and the Jerusalem of the Jopadhola.

Obbo said the provocation may attract violent reaction from the people of Padhola and the leaders of the institution may not be held responsible for any eventuality.

Obbo noted that by the fact that Tororo municipality is currently under contention between the Jopadhola and the Iteso, which contention is still in the hands of His Excellency the President of the republic of Uganda and the constitutional court of Uganda it will be and it is an escalation of the current contention for either party to show supremacy over the area and for that matter the event should be relocated to Mukuju county headquarters or in any other place.

Early in the day the resident district commissioner Martine Orochi announced that they had sat with the leaders from both cultural institutions and came to amicable understanding allowing the event to go ahead as planned.