Monday 3 September 2012

Kasese Town seeks to reclaim all Rutooro-named roads




Ethnic differences in Kasese District took a new twist on Tuesday after the municipal council tabled a Bill seeking to rename all roads in Kasese Town from Kitooro to Kikonzo names.

The councillor Nyakabingo II Ward, Mr Kahene Bwambale, tabled a motion seeking to rename several roads after prominent Bakonjo personalities.
Mr Bwambale proposed that roads should be named after personalities like the late Isaya Mukirane, the former Minister of Finance in the Obusinga, Ms Loyce Biira, who is the first Mukonzo woman Minister of State for Gender in the NRM government, and Dr Crispus Kiyonga for being the longest serving member of parliament, among others.
The roads to be renamed include; Kogere, Rukidi, Mugurusi, Kayisiga, Kijongo, Byensi and Rweisamba, which all bear Rutooro names. Culturally, the Bakonjo for long were under Tooro Kingdom before acquiring their own kingdom, the Obusinga.
However, the speaker, Mr Alex Kwatampora, deferred the motion to the executive committee for further scrutiny. When this newspaper asked why he deferred the motion, Mr Kwatampora cited legal implications and expenses involved in renaming of all those streets before council would commit itself on the matter.
“I want our council to have ample time to study the issue and consider all the implications that may arise from the same,” Mr Kwatampora said.