The Kumi District Council has proposed the creation of new administrative units, including the curving of Kanyum District from Kumi District, the establishment of Ongino County from Kumi County, and the upgrading of Atutur Sub-county into a town council.
This resolution was passed during an emergency council meeting where the district executive committee presented a report on the creation of additional administrative structures. The motion was introduced by Sam Akol, the Leader of Council Business.
“Statistics show that the Ugandan population more than doubles every ten years. This population increase creates a demand for more services and strains the few existing units that provide these services. Hence, there is a need to create additional units,” Akol stated.
The district executive committee reviewed minutes from various lower administrative units, including Nyero Town Council, Nyero Sub-county, and Ogooma Sub-county. These units expressed interest in establishing new sub-counties, town councils, town boards, parishes, and villages, as well as the creation of a new Kanyum District and two counties — Ongino and Mukongoro.
The emergency meeting was convened to prepare an official district council minute requesting the creation of these new administrative units. The memorandum is expected to be presented to President Yoweri Museveni during his campaign visit to Kumi District on November 5, 2025.
Christine Apolot, the Kumi District Woman MP, commended the council for its resolution, noting that the proposal would bring services closer to the people. “Kumi District is still quite large, despite Ngora and Bukedea having been carved out of it. There is an evident need to create a new district, counties, and sub-counties,” Apolot remarked.
Sidronious Okaasai Opolot, the State Minister for Energy and chairperson of the team drafting the memorandum, emphasized that Kumi County is too large and underscored the importance of creating Ongino County.
“Just as Tororo was granted a district and additional constituencies, Kumi District also deserves similar recognition due to its rapidly growing population. As soon as the write-up is sent to the Ministry of Local Government, I will follow up to ensure it reaches higher levels,” Okaasai assured.
Kumi District Speaker, David Tukei, confirmed that the council’s decision was driven by population growth and limited resources that continue to strain service delivery. John Stephen Kasadha, the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) of Kumi District, said his office is ready to provide the necessary technical expertise to facilitate the implementation of the council’s resolution. Kumi District currently has an estimated population of 298,992 people.
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