NO DISTRICT, NO VOTE – SAVE AYIVU INITIATIVE MEMBERS WARN

Protestors match during demonstration in Onduparaka trading center.

By Onzoma Albert
Arua City
 
A group of activists under their umbrella body Save Ayivu Initiative are actively advocating for the creation of an independent Ayivu district under Arua city.
 
The group, which consists of elders, youths, religious leaders, politicians and women contend that the creation of Arua city in 2020, which incorporated the whole of Ayivu County into Arua city, has affected the people of Ayivu in terms of service delivery.
 
Gasper Piriyo the spokesperson of Save Ayivu Initiative presented the concerns of the group during a press conference and peaceful demonstration in Onduparaka.
 
“This time the issue is one, we don’t have a party, religion and no any other thing no district for the people of Ayivu no vote for government because of decentralization former counties became districts and Arua municipality which has been elevated to city status, now government was able to elevate all the former counties to district status we are asking what happened to Ayivu so the creation of Arua city has made Ayivu to become a mere division where seven sub-counties were merged and killed” he said.
 
Save Ayivu Initiative P.R.O Addressing press conference.
 
Levi Adroa the chairperson of Save Ayivu Initiative says the city is too large to address the service delivery and fulfill the needs of the people of Ayivu.
 
“Whoever thinks we are primitive, stupid and criticizing government, no way I think our God is with us because this is the fifth year since we started but we shall determine our fate in the upcoming elections,” he said.
 
Dante Orijabo the youth representative in Save Ayivu Initiative argues that Arua City is too large and therefore the services the people of Ayivu used to get under the former seven sub-counties do not reach to the people of Ayivu.
 
“We don’t have community development officers and production officers yet National Resistance Movement has an economic transformation policy through agriculture but since the creation of the city that takes the whole of Ayivu land we are longer getting agricultural inputs from government as we used to” he said.
 
The members of Save Ayivu Initiatives claim that Arua district should have been given to the people of Ayivu because Arua Hill is found in Ayivu land instead Vurra should be given its own district called Vurra district and they are threatening to boycott voting in the upcoming 2026 general elections if district status is not granted to the people of Ayivu.