Residents of Tororo County have rejected a proposal by the parliamentary Committee on Local Government to hold a referendum for the residents to decide whether they would like to belong to Kisoko or Mukuju district.

In a constituency meeting chaired by the area MP, Mr Geoffrey Ekanya at the county headquarters on Saturday, Mr Steven Enokokin, a minister in the Iteso Cultural Union said: "For the last 12 years, the proposal has been to give us a district minus the municipality and we have said no. We are therefore now saying no to the referendum. There has never been a district anywhere in this country which has been created through a referendum."

Mr Enokokin added: "We shall not accept a district without a municipality. We shall take legal action against the government for denying us our constitutional rights and for trying to grab our land to give it to the Jopadhola."

Suspected foul play

Some of the residents allege that President Museveni has been favouring the Jopadhola, so they fear that he would manipulate the referendum and give Tororo County (Municipality) to them.

"We are saying no to the referendum because it will be manipulated," Mr Albino Otabong (NRM), the LC 2 Chairman for Malaba, argued.

The district youth councillor Mr Tonny Okae (NRM), said: "If no district is given, NRM will lose elections in Teso."