By Weswa Ronnie
NAMISINDWA
The government of Uganda has finally given the Sabot tribe a code number which they have been waiting for a long time.
Sabot is an unrecognizable minority group of people located in three sub counties of Bumbo, Bukokho, Bukiabi and Bumbo town council in Namisindwa district who originate from Western neighboring Kenya.
This was revealed by John Musila, the area Member of Parliament representing Bubulo East constituency in Namisindwa district on Thursday, 2nd May, 2024 while speaking to leaders of Sabot tribe at Magale Catholic Church located at Magale Town Council, Namisindwa district.
Musila says that this Sabot tribe has around 30,000 people and they are of Luo ethnic group of people who migrated into the area 300 years back.
He says that the tribe has been marginalized by Gishu natives in terms of service delivery, competing for government jobs, among others since they are a minority in the district.
Musila also says that as the area Member of Parliament, he raised the matter on the floor of Parliament urging government to recognize Sabot in the constitution like other tribes in Uganda.
Jacob Kirubanga, Member of Parliament Kibanda County, Kiryandogo district who led a delegation of United Nations Refugee Program which is moving in the entire country to meet with minority unrecognized tribes said that Sabot is amongst small tribes the government is going to recognize.
He adds that the Sabot tribe has been given code number 581 saying after covering the entire country, they are going to move a motion in parliament asking the government to finalize the process of recognizing them and including them in the constitution of Uganda.
Juma Wolifu, the Chairman of the Sabot tribe says that they have been referring themselves as Bagisu yet they are not but because they wanted to get national IDs and be called Ugandans, they had nothing to do but to pretend.
Martin Zemoi, also a Sabot says that Bagisu have been marginalizing them and giving them all sorts of nicknames since they are not recognized to be original natives of the area.
Aramazan Wabuko, the Namisindwa District National Resistance Movement NRM chairperson says that if these tribes are recognized, it’s going to be easy for him to canvass for votes for President Museveni in the coming general election.
