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.
