Speaker of Parliament Makes Maiden Visit to Kwar Adhola Palace, Pledges Support for Padhola Development Agenda
Tororo, Uganda | NEWS CORRESPONDENT | The Speaker of Parliament Jacob Marksons Oboth, on Sunday made his maiden visit to the Palace of Kwar Adhola Moses Stephen Owor following his election as Speaker of the 12th Parliament.
The Speaker was accompanied to the Royal Palace by four Members of Parliament representing the four constituencies of West Budama, who said they aimed to secure a five-year development plan from the cultural institution to champion at various national forums.
Kwar Adhola Moses Owor thanked the Speaker and his team for visiting the palace and sharing a light moment with him. He thanked God for answering the prayers of the Padhola people by granting them the third highest office in the country.
The cultural leader of the Jopadhola, however, expressed disappointment over reports of religious divisions emerging in Padhola. Kwar Adhola noted that he has fought against religious conflicts in Padhola for over 30 years and warned against any attempt to revive them.
The visit and a subsequent meeting had the delegation discuss proposed locations of headquarters for newly formed districts in the region.
Kwar Adhola maintained that Kisoko should still host the new district headquarters due to historical reasons.
The MPs in the Speaker’s delegation were Ochai Max of West Budama North, Ofwono Opondo representing Older Persons of Eastern Uganda, Richard Owere Machika of West Budama North East, and George Oketcho of West Budama South.
The high-profile visit marks a historic homecoming and a significant moment of alignment between the Tieng Adhola Cultural Institution (TACI) and the leadership of the 12th Parliament. Speaker Oboth, who represents West Budama Central in Tororo District, previously served as the Deputy Attorney General for the Adhola Cultural Institution before ascending to head the legislative arm of government.
Nagongera road
During the engagement, the Jago (Prime Minister of Padhola) Josel Richard Obbo, requested the delegation to prioritize the tracking of key road projects to catalyze development in the region. The roads highlighted include Tororo-Nagongera-Busolwe, Nambogo-Mulanda-Iyolwa, Malaba-Milo 8, and Rubongi-Mulanda-Buwesa.
The Jago also asked the delegation led by the Speaker to lobby for the completion of the Kwar Adhola Royal Palace to provide a decent home for the Japadhola.
He further urged the Members of Parliament from Padhola led by the Speaker to push government to expedite the operationalization of three proposed districts of Mulanda, Mukuju, Greater West Budama North and Tororo City to enable affected communities to settle and attract development.
The matter of the proposed districts generated extensive discussion, with members presenting different views on the location of the headquarters for the controversial Kisoko-Nagongera district.
Speaker Jacob Markson Oboth suggested that the headquarters of the contested district be taken to a neutral place, either in greater Paya or Kirewa to avoid ongoing controversies.
The Speaker also proposed the annexation of Petta and Kisoko to form a municipality, with Nagongera or any other suitable place designated as district headquarters.
Speaker calls for unity, promises on Palace
Oboth Oboth noted that the confusion surrounding the location of the headquarters in Greater West Budama North has reached President Museveni and has taken on a religious dimension between Anglicans and Catholics.
He called upon the cultural institution to handle the controversy with urgent attention to avoid portraying the Japadhola as people lacking vision and proper leadership.
Rt Hon.Jaco Markson Oboth Speaker @Parliament_Ug visited His Royal Highness KWAR ADHOLA Moses Stephen Owor @PadholaKingdom @OfwonoOpondo @SimonTerrazzo @OlowoMoses48905 @AugustineOlowo @Jadwong @Watson_Okoth https://t.co/ufsIyiKDmC
— Workers Defender (@OUsher35364) October 18, 2026
The Chairperson of the Tororo District Parliamentary Caucus, Richard Owere Machika, pledged to summon both parties from Kisoko and Nagongera to ensure the matter is resolved immediately.
He also pledged to unite all Members of Parliament from Padhola to advance the agenda of the cultural institution for tangible development.
In response to issues raised by the cultural institution, Speaker Oboth pledged to include the budget for completion of the Palace in the next financial year 2027-2028. He assured the people of Tororo that government is committed to working on all the roads tabled before them and appealed for patience among the populace.
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