Ugandan minority groups demand own Member of Parliament

The Association of the ethnic Indigenous Minority Groups (IMGs) living in Uganda are demanding consideration to have their own political representative in parliament.

The IGMs, who were drawn from several parts of the country, echoed their grievances while commemorating the international day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples over the weekend in Paidha Town Council, Zombo district.

The speaker of the minority Ndrukpa /Lendu Kingdom in Zombo District, Mark Utuga, said government should give affirmative action which defines the true origin of the minority groups as citizens through cultural identities, political space, education and employment for their socio-economic transformation.

Utuga said lack of representatives in elective positions has subjected Lendu communities to property losses such as the land occupied by Lendu Forest in Zombo District yet locals were not compensated.  

“Lendu community residing in Zombo has an estimated population of over 23,000 people but majority of Lendu communities have crossed to DR Congo and Bunyoro sub-region due to disunity over land and this has made them wail in poverty,” Utugqa observed.

 Meanwhile, the Chairperson of the Karamoja Indigenous Minority Group, Mr Samuel Lubeka, said their issues are less considered in parliament, making them vulnerable compared to majority groups. 

Lubeka said their land is gazetted by the government for central forest reserves and Wildlife conservation area-Kidepo Valley National Park rendering them poor.

“If we are given political space to elect our own MP, our problems would be solved because the issue which affects the minority groups would be discussed at political levels,” he explained.

The Program and Communication Coordinator for Cross Cultural Foundation –Uganda (CCFU), Mr Aliguma Akiiki, said there was need to foster networking and partnership between IMGs and relevant authorities to promote cultural rights.

“Because their numbers across the country are not well represented, they need to be empowered through social networking with the duty bearers from all levels,” Mr Aliguma noted.

At the weekend event, the groups said they still suffer from acute lack of access to education, health and other social services.

Leaders of the groups also decried historical perceptions and nicknaming in various areas, which they said stigmatizes them in addition to lack of freedom of speech and expression in public spaces.

About minority groups

In Uganda, the minority groups include Batwa, Ik, Nyangiya, Katibang, Benet,Kebu, Lendu, Reli and Nubi spread across the country.

As a member of the United Nations (UN), Uganda is bound by the UN instruments that promotes non-discrimination.

The Ugandan Constitution also provides that all persons are equal before and under the law in all spheres of political, economic, social and cultural life, and that no one may be discriminated against on the ground of sex, race, colour, ethnic origin, tribe, birth, creed or religion, social or economic standing, political opinion or disability.

According to the International Work Group for Indigenous Affairs (IWGIA), the Benets, who number just over 8,500, live in the northeastern part of Uganda. Batwa, about 6,700, live mainly in the southwest region. They were dispossessed of their ancestral land when the Bwindi and Mgahinga forests were declared national parks in 1991.

The Ik are about 13,939 and live on the edge of the Karamoja/ Turkana region along the border between Uganda and Kenya. The Karamojong live in the northeast and total about 98,429. The Basongoras, who number 15,897, are a livestock community that lives in the lowlands adjacent to Rwenzori Mountain in western Uganda.