Residents of Bungokho County are demanding the transfer of Mbale district headquarters from Busoba sub-county to Bungokho sub-county.
Angry residents In Bungokho south raised concerns about being far from Services saying that they find it difficult to access social services and also accessing public offices.
Background:
On 1st July 2020, Mbale was declared a City after being elevated from a municipality which meant that Mbale district would now operate independently from the city.
In July 2020, Mbale district held a council meeting at Mbale Senior Secondary School that would see a decision made to where the new headquarters would be.
Having disagreed on the location of the headquarters, councilors turned chaotic with some of them turning physical and whoever was at the scene witnessed the sickness that day and sadly one of the councilors was badly hit to hospitalization and Security operatives including police, UPDF, and SFC were called to calm the situation.
A council chaired by the speaker and now the current LCV chairman Muhammad Mafabi later sat that day after the order was restored and they reached a consensus that the headquarters would be taken to Busoba.
However, the former Minister for Trade and Industry Michael Werikhe came in to mediate between the torn apart council.
Now Residents of Bungokho are protesting the location of District headquarters in Busoba.
They argue that Bungokho is the oldest county from which all new districts have originated.
They also say that it’s a grave injustice to take headquarters to Busoba and yet leaving out Bungokho County which is much bigger than Busoba.
They also say that the Busoba sub-county has no land to host the district headquarters citing that the biggest percentage of the Land was Leased to Mbale School of the Deaf, Food For the Hungry Project, and also some land was Leased to a starch processing Company.
What residents say:
Kutosi Dan, A resident of Nambiti A, Village, Bungokho sub-county, Bungokho County Mbale district “We were given a district but some of us don’t know where it’s located. we search for our MPs, Our Councillors, Our LCV but we don’t find them. secondly, we thought we would have got the district at Bungokho sub-county headquarters instead of putting it at Busoba“.
Wakholi Samuel, Resident of Nambiti A Village Bungokho sub-county, “Our tears are that Bungokho is the mother of Bukedi Region, Bungokho was big and it was divided into North and South and we hoped that we would get the district headquarters but to our surprise, the headquarters went to Busoba. Why do we remain empty-handed yet Bungokho is the mother of All neighboring constituencies“.
Nandutu Agnes, Resident “We also want to develop as Bungokho Sub County by putting district headquarters near to us and we know we have landed in abundance“.
However, Mafabi Chris Omya the chairman LC3 Bungokho sub-county says Bungokho sub-county has whatever it takes in terms of land, infrastructure, and location to host district headquarters.
“On the issue of District headquarters as Bungokho, we have no problem because we know very well that Bungokho hosts county headquarters and we have been conducting very well“. he said.
“But the only thing is we go by the council resolutions. during the first seating, they decided that the district headquarters be shifted to Busoba so we as local leaders there is nothing we can do so we are looking at our Councillors to petition at the district but our Stand as Bungokho we don’t have any problem we are in one accord“. He added.
“As soon as they want the district headquarters to sit here we shall welcome them because we have sub-county, we have the buildings but now it will depend on the council if they can recall again another seating it will depend on the same issue“. he noted.
Among the facilities available at Bungokho are; a full 200 seater main hall, Administration Block, Football pitch, police station among others.
Tony Wamagale the district vice-chairman said resolutions had already been made to where the location of the new district headquarters but said it’s only through the council that the resolution to change the headquarters to Bungokho can be made.
However, he also agrees with Bungokho residents that it suits to host the district headquarters.
