Emorimor rallies Iteso to embrace census for equitable resource allocation

Soroti | His Royal Highness Paul Sande Emolot, the Paramount Chief of the Iteso Cultural Union (ICU), has encouraged his subjects to actively participate in the national population census.

Sande emphasised its importance, stating that it will ensure fair resource allocation by the government.

Emolot emphasises the importance of accurate demographic data, both nationally and regionally, in facilitating effective governance and development planning.

The Ugandan government is currently training numerators and supervisors who will be conducting a nationwide census. 

He highlights that an accurate census count is pivotal in safeguarding the interests of the Iteso community, preventing any negative repercussions on their culture and identity.

Emolot stresses how crucial it is to guarantee that census regulations are followed and to provide accurate information in his appeal to clan chiefs and family heads.

He further emphasises that this data will directly contribute to the welfare and progress of the Ateker people.

It is his belief that despite their varied languages and origins, linguistic minorities in the Iteso community should register as Iteso during the census.

He calls out in particular to the Iteso who live in Tororo, advising them to register using their ethnicity.

In order to resolve conflicts like the current argument over the Teso district in Tororo, which has been made worse by disparities in population estimates, Emolot points out that this action is crucial.

With a united front, Emolot hopes to ensure that the Iteso people are fairly represented in the census and can go on to assert their rightful place among the country’s opportunities and resources.

About 2.36 million people, or 7% of Uganda’s total population, are Iteso, according to a 2014 report from the Ugandan Bureau of Statistics.

Up until 1980, the Iteso ethnic group was Uganda’s second-largest ethnic group; however, their percentage of the population has probably declined.

About 578,000 Iteso people live in Kenya, mostly in Busia County, which is located south of Mount Elgon.

They can be found in Bugoma and Trans Nzoia County, but they mostly live in Teso North and Teso South, two sub-counties.

By Robert Edwomu.