Africa-Press – Uganda. Five years after Arua Municipality was elevated to city status, residents of Ayivu Division are renewing calls for a separate district, arguing that their incorporation into the urban structure has left them politically marginalised and cut off from essential services.
The residents, organised under a pressure group known as the Save Ayivu Initiative (SAI), say the transition to city status came without proper consultation and has resulted in poor service delivery, rising costs, and the erosion of their rural identity.
“Seven sub-counties were collapsed into one division—Ayivu Division. That has made service delivery slow and ineffective. Imagine someone from Riki spending Shs50,000 just to get to Onduparaka and back, just to have a letter stamped by the Division mayor,” said Gasper Pirio, spokesperson for the group.
The group points to everyday challenges faced by residents whose livelihoods rely on farming and animal rearing, but who now contend with urban regulations they say are unsuited to their context.
“Someone has to spend Shs50,000 to get a permit to sell a goat—how much is he selling that goat for?” added Levi Androa, chairperson of the Save Ayivu Initiative.
When Arua was granted city status in 2020, the government expanded the former municipality from 10.1 square kilometres to 411, incorporating all or parts of the former Ayivu County.
Residents now say that decision has left them governed by policies designed for urban populations, not the largely rural communities of Ayivu.
“We are being governed by city laws that were never meant for us. We cannot thrive under this system. We need our own district to preserve our identity and secure better services,” said Pirio.
The Save Ayivu Initiative insists that their push is not an attack on the idea of the city, but a demand for fair treatment and representation.
“We are not against the city. But if they couldn’t take just a few parishes from Ayivu to meet the city’s geographic requirements, then we don’t want it. As the people of Ayivu, we are saying: no district, no vote for the government,” Pirio said.
Their campaign has included formal petitions to government and a case filed before the Constitutional Court, challenging the manner in which Ayivu was absorbed into the city. But according to the group, the court has yet to act.
“It’s been five years since we petitioned government. A whole year has passed since we took the matter to the Constitutional Court, but the Attorney General has failed to appear in court on three occasions,” Pirio said.
The Ayivu case echoes broader national tensions, as calls for administrative autonomy grow in areas where residents feel sidelined by urbanisation or larger political entities.
It follows similar protests and demands in other parts of the country, including the recent controversy surrounding the division of Tororo District—moves many fear are being driven by tribal or identity politics.
Government officials have previously acknowledged the concerns raised by Ayivu residents but have offered no clear position in recent months.
The Ministry of Local Government has yet to respond publicly to the renewed push, even as local discontent escalates.
As the 2026 elections approach, the Save Ayivu Initiative is ramping up its messaging, warning the ruling National Resistance Movement that failure to address their grievances could cost it politically.
With no court resolution in sight and no official government response, the residents of Ayivu say their patience is wearing thin.
Whether their demand for district status will be granted remains uncertain, but their message is clear: without recognition and autonomy, they will not be silent.
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