Public Service State Minister, David Karubanga, is lobbying Hoima District Council to consider establishing the district headquarters in Kigorobya Town Council, his home town and the main urban centre in his constituency.
This follows the elevation and launch of Hoima City where the district headquarters are currently located at Kasingo Cell in Hoima City West Division.
Speaking at the launch of Hoima City last week, Mr Karubanga who is also the Kigorobya County Member of Parliament argued that Kigorobya is the second biggest urban centre in Hoima district, thus, deserves to be the seat of Hoima district that has lost its headquarters to Hoima oil city.
The minister also argues that Kigorobya has enough land for expansion and other required infrastructure for the start of the district headquarters.
Mr Karubanga lobbied the Hoima district LC 5 vice chairman, Mr Frederick Kakoraki, to consider the matter when council sits.
Mr Kakoraki had represented the Hoima district LC 5 chairman, Mr Kadiri Kirungi, who was pre-occupied with preparations to face the Commandant for Land Protection Unit at the national Criminal Investigations Directorate (CID), Kibuli in Kampala for interrogation about his role in the Lenju land scandal in Kigorobya County.
Speaking at the same event, Local Government Minister, Mr Raphael Magyezi, said he had also received the same request from the people of Kigorobya soon after arriving in Hoima to preside over the launch of the oil city.
However, he advised the agitators to engage the district council which is mandated to identify a suitable place and pass it officially.
Dr Lawrence Bategeka, the outgoing Member of Parliament for Hoima municipality asked the minister of local government to expedite the operationalisation of sub-counties in Kigorobya County to make their approval a meaningful action.
He said the pledges are becoming highly confusing because they are stuck with a move to push for a district status when they have failed to achieve the sub-counties proposed nearly five years ago.
“It cannot be a sub-county, a county and a district. There is need for urgent action,” said Dr Bategeka.
Mr Denis Jurua a resident of Kigorobya welcomes Hoima City and supports an idea of establishing Hoima district headquarters in Kigorobya than anywhere else.
However, Mr Wilberforce Isingoma and Mr Samuel Mbabazi residents of Buseruka and Kitoba sub-counties respectively argue that Kitoba sub-county should be the headquarters of Hoima district local government given its geographical centrality.
“Kitoba sub-county is central for the district headquarters since people from Buhanika, Kyabigambire, Buraru, Kabale, Buseruka and Kigorobya sub-counties can easily meet at Kitoba without incurring more transport costs compared to going to Kigorobya,” says Mr Isingoma.
Mr Mbabazi argues that: “Kigorobya is at the border with Buliisa district, Buhanika at the border with Buganda kingdom, Buraru and Kyabigambire sub-counties border with Masindi district while Buseruka and Kabaale sub-counties are at the border with DR Congo. Ideally, Kitoba should host the district headquarters because it is in the central part of Hoima district and Hoima city.”
During a radio talk show at Spice FM recently, the Hoima district Secretary for Finance and Planning, Ms Bernadette Plan, said that it would be desirable if the district headquarters were located in a central position for easy access.
Distance
It is approximately 117.5km from Kaiso to Kigorobya via Hoima city, approximately 40km from Katereiga the farthest village in Buhanika sub-county at the Kafu River that borders Bunyoro and Buganda kingdoms and 25 km from Kigorobya to Hoima City.
This means if the headquarters were to be located in Kigorobya, it would be difficult for the people of Kaiso and Katereiga to easily access the services given the long distance involved.
