TENSION IN RWENZORI REGION AS TRIBAL CLASHES CLAIM AN ACCUMULATIVE 25 LIVES IN ONE MONTH

As the world marks the Easter holidays the cornerstone of the Christian faith the people living in restive Rwenzori region districts of Kasese and Bundibugyo are living in fear of their lives following a spate of clashes The death toll in restive Rwenzori region is rising with every passing day as the Bakonjo and Bamba/Babwisi ethnic communities who were once so close until central gov't accorded the Babwisi their own cultural Leader retired Lt.Col Kamya effectively curving the cultural institution out of Rwenzururu cultural institution of Charles Wesley Mumbere. The simmering tension between the two ethnic communities came to boiling point after the February and March general elections.While Kasese voted for Opposition FDC political party candidates from president to the lower Local Council, Bundibugyo and neighboring Kabarole voted the ruling National resistance Movement-NRM candidates including President Yoweri Museveni.At least 25 people have been killed in inter-communal violence between.In 2009, government restored or rather recognized the Cultural institution of the Obusinga under Charles Wesley Mumbere under the assumption that the cultural institution would cover even Bundibugyo where ancestral home and well aware that the two communities fought or resisted repression and segregation meted on them by Tooro kingdom in the 196os. It was a shock to the Bakonzo when government recognized and granted the Babwisi/Bamba their own cultural institution Obudinghigya which the Bakonzo interpreted as an act of betrayal. Meanwhile skirmishes between Bakonzo and security personnel have been reported in Kasese after LC election in Hima town council were won by NRM leaning Candidate. Addressing a press conference in Kasese recently the King/Cultural leader of Bakonzho urged people who don't pay allegiance to the institution not to incite the people or despise those who pay allegiance to the institution. In 2003, in my line of duty as journalist as Editor of A local fm radio in Fort Portal Uganda in Rwenzori region,a man who identified himself as Price SWALEH TIBAMWENDA came to see me in my office claiming to be the rightful or rather crown prince of Rwenzururu. Prince Swaleh belongs to the lineage of Basukale-Banyangalwa royal clan. According to Prince TIBAMWENDA,Mukirania-the father of Omusinga Mumbere,Kawamara and Peter Mupalya fought against Tooro discrimination as a political struggle but not as Royals themselves. It was news to me and I was hearing it for the very first time.In other news, there are reports or rather rumors of a secession movement which is is intent on building their own YIIRA state that would cover parts of Eastern DRC to Mubende which Obusinga administration has denied and dismissed as a fabrication. Several gov't officers and researchers insist that the agitation is real and sholdn't be denied. It reminded me of how some politicians at one point mooted the idea of seceding from uganda to form their own NILE REPUBLIC. The Bakonzho have their Kin across the border who are known as BAYIIRA. While interacting with my intellectual Bakonzho friends, they briefed me about how everybody else is a migrant and that they are the the only indigenous people of Uganda. Legislators and LC officials from Kasese say their area is marginalized and that during the 2007 land reform program, the program favored the Banyabindi, Basongora and other minorities. The Basongora are pastoralists or cattle keepers who the Bakonzho are cultivators.Clearly, the issues at hand are complex and need a Multi-sectoral approach and sober heads to address. As Nelson Mandela says, "Children are born innocent but it is the Adults that them to hate" Needless to say, there has been ........As I write this article, Inspector general of Police kale kayihura is camped in the Region and Sunday Sam a son of Monday who met and talked to the IGP yesterday has been speared to death. Sunday is one of the 5 people killed last night bringing to 25 the number of people killed over the last one month. On thursday night, a gang of people stormed kidodo police post in Kasese and killed one policeman and grabbed one AK47 which they took away. Research indicates that the Bakonzho have had longstanding and intricate grievances since colonial time and they only keep recurring.