Leaders from Kinkiizi West Constituency are mooting plans to have Kanungu district split into two parts and create Kinkiizi West district.
Some district leaders led by the speaker, Frank Byaruhanga, say the district finds it hard to extend services to areas of Kinkiizi West, something he says has stifled development and sparked disagreements among leaders.
“The main point that we are looking at is service delivery, which is the government’s desire that people get served,” says Byaruhanga
Kenneth Tumuhamye, a councilor representing Kanyantorogo sub-county, said: “Let us not give up on asking for another district because creating Kinkiizi district means Kanungu will become a municipality, which is also another constituency.”
Located in South Western Uganda, Kanungu District was carved out of Rukungiri in 2001 when the area had become a hotbed of unmonitored insecurity that was attributed to an incident where Joseph Kibwetere, a cult leader, burnt hundreds of cult followers. The then leaders thought turning Kanungu into a district would bring services like security closer to the people.
The district has two counties, Kinkizi East and Kinkizi West. It is made up of 18 Sub Counties and 9 Town Councils with a total of 102 Parishes/wards and 527 villages,135 Gov’t primary schools, 80 private primary schools, 21 Government Secondary schools, 31 private secondary schools, 4 government tertiary schools and 06 private tertiary schools, one Government Hospital, 1 private hospital, 3 HCIV’s, 10 Government HC III’s, 4 PNFP HC111s, 17 Government HC IIs, 18 PNFP HC11s and 1 private HC11.