The dispute between Bugisu and Bukedi was primarily over Mbale Town, and other areas such as Nakaloke and Lwanjusi. Bukedi initially was made up of Bukedi proper (excluding Samia-Bugwe), Bugisu, Teso and Sebei Districts. The bulk and ethnic diversity of the area worked against smooth administration. In 1909, Teso was sliced off. In the meantime, Samia-Bugwe was patched onto Bukedi. Then in 1923, that new Bukedi was split up into Bugisu (HQ: Bubulo); Bugwere (HQ: Nakaloke); and Budama (HQ: Tororo). The new Bugwere District also included Mbale county and Mbale town; a factor that did not go down well with the Bagisu who felt that they had been robbed of their land.
In 1937 there were further changes that saw Bugisu and Bugwere being combined, partly as a way of superficially mollifying the Bagisu. The two became Central District (HQ: Mbale). What made this arrangement rather ad hoc was that the constituent parts each of the new Central District retained its own local government, instead of the district having a unitary local government. When in 1947, Budama was also slapped onto the Central District, it was combined with Bugwere right within the Central district and together they were given their own local administration, called Bukedi Native Administration. Their jurisdiction included Mbale. Bagisu were also given their own native administration within Central District. So this took matters back to square one: the reason for formation of Central District had been forgotten, and Bagisu were sulking again.
To diffuse the quarrel over Mbale, the Town was given a ‘neutral’ status with a Sub-county chief that was answerable to the Central District DC, and to neither of the two native administrations, each of which viewed the neutralisation of Mbale as an injustice. The years leading to independence witnessed quite a few local fights of that issue. It is important also to note the demographic pressures that formed part of the undercurrents of this conflict. According to the 1959 census, Bukedi and Bugisu were found to have the highest population density in the colony (with Kigezi), of up to 300 persons per sq mile, compared to North and East, with 16 persons per sq mile.
Of course Bagisu were at the same time being harassed by the Sebei with whom they formed Bugisu District and wanted their minority status to be terminated.. They wanted a separate district with HQ at Kapchorwa. Every now the Sebei would block the Bamasaba’s only route to the mountains. That route went through Sebei lands. I think AM Obote’s resolution of the Mbale question was along the lines of the ‘Report of the Commission of Inquiry Appointed to Review the Boundary Between the Districts of Bugisu and Bukedi’
