Kenya Iteso seek secession from their Ugandan kins Since 1996 when the Iteso in Uganda and Kenya came together under a single cultural institution with a paramount chief at its apex, the two communities have largely remained glued together by their shared heritage. The Iteso Cultural Union (ICU) has been the glue, headed by the Emorimor, who, unlike other kings, is elected “on a rotational basis.” But as the ICU approaches its 20th anniversary in two years’ time, the Iteso from Kenya have started calling for secession from their Ugandan counterparts due to what they describe as “lack of balance of power.” In a petition to Emorimor Augustine Lemukol Osuban, the Iteso of Kenya accuse their Ugandan siblings of sidelining them during elections for the various positions in the kingdom. The lead petitioner, Gabriel Itela, who hails from Amukura in Kenya’s Teso district, says that for Kenyans to benefit from the ICU, they must break away and form an independent kingdom with their own cultural leader. The 65-year-old Itela claims the Iteso from Kenya have been oppressed for long by their Ugandan counterparts, who are more numerous and host the institution’s headquarters. “It is time to find our independence and protect our culture as Kenyans,” says Itela. Another elder from Kenya, Joseph Omaido, says their Ugandan tribe-mates have continuously promised them a chance to take up the rotational leadership of the institution without giving them the opportunity. “We thought our brothers in Uganda would be honest to the mutual agreements we made when the kingdoms were restored but we have only realised that we are being fooled,” he said. Omaido argues that their plan to form a parallel cultural institution does not mean there is bad blood between the two communities. All they want is to have a king closer to their community who they can table their problems to instead of having to travel all the way to Uganda. The ICU headquarters are in Soroti district and the two individuals who have held the title of Emorimor since the institution was restored have been Ugandans. The Iteso The Iteso straddle the Uganda-Kenya border. In Kenya, they live in the western part of the country, inhabiting Teso district and parts of Busia district. The Iteso in Kenya number about 279,000, making up 0.3 per cent of the country’s total population. Within Uganda, the Iteso mainly inhabit the districts of Amuria, Soroti, Kumi, Katakwi, Ngora, Serere, Pallisa, Bukedea and Kaberamaido. They also live in parts of Tororo and Busia districts. The Iteso in Uganda are about 3.2 million, or 9.6 per cent of the country’s total population, making them Uganda’s fifth largest tribe. The social structure of the Iteso is largely based on the clan system. According to the Emorimor’s deputy minister for History and Culture, Profess Omaluti, the clan is a basic social and political unit, with an administrative and judicial role to play in community affairs. One of the few clans that has the unique advantage of straddling the Ugandan and Kenyan border is Ikatanyu clan. Its secretary, Robert Ojulo, says the Iteso from either country should continue to be united under one leadership. Ojulo says those demanding the breakaway have selfish motives and want to satisfy their greed for cultural power. For Obere Omella, an elderly Etesot in Uganda, the best approach is for the Iteso in Kenya to seek reforms in accordance with the kingdom constitution, instead of pushing for the divisive secession. Omaluti, 80, says the kingdom will not allow “a few individuals” to break up the Iteso in the two countries. Young Kingdom Compared to other kingdoms in Uganda, Teso’s ICU is a young institution. According to Omaluti, the Iteso from Uganda and Kenya first came together in the 1950s. The first king was Nasaneiri Esete. At the time, the association that united the Iteso in the two countries was known as the Iteso East African Union. However, in the late 1960s, the government banned cultural institutions in Uganda, sending the organisation into hibernation. Omaluti says when kingdoms were restored in 1993, the Iteso began to reorganise. The move was viewed with suspicion but the elders persisted in their quest for a single leader to inspire the post-conflict rehabilitation of Teso. Eventually, in 1996, Paphrus Imodot Edimu was elected as Emorimor. However, Imodot did not even serve his mandatory five-year term of office. Constrained by several controversies, including a lack of quorum on the day he was elected, Imodot stepped down and elections for a new leader were held in 1998. Osuban became the new Emorimor. After the election of Osuban, ICU scrapped the five-year term of office, paving the way for an elected Emorimor to serve for life. According to the new arrangement, it is only after a sitting Emorimor dies that an election is held. The Iteso in Kenya are no longer happy with that arrangement, arguing that it denies them opportunities to lead the organisation, or participate fully in most of its activities. However, Omaluti challenges any Itesot from Kenya to cite any activity that the Soroti-based kingdom has carried out without consultation or inclusion of their counterparts across the border before demanding for secession. “Itela and his group are just young men of greed who don’t understand how far the kingdom has come as far as unity is concerned,” said Omaluti. opaepapa@gmail observer.ug/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=31401:-feature-kenya-iteso-seek-secession-from-their-ugandan-kins&catid=57:feature&Itemid=69
Posted on: Sun, 26 Oct 2014 13:47:28 +0000
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