Kigezi District

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Kigezi District once covered what are now Kabale District, Kanungu District, Kisoro District and Rukungiri District. Its terraced fields are what gives this part of Uganda its distinctive character. Kigezi was popularly known as the Switzerland of East Africa.

Diocese of Kigezi ...

Before its division into the districts shown as above, Kigezi consisted of counties of Rukiga, South East of the Kabale District, which bordered on the then Ankole District.

Ndorwa, Central Area of Kabale District, where Kabale town is still located and Lake Bunyonyi shared with the county of Rubanda.

Rubanda, South West of Kabale bordering Kanungu and Kisoro, Kinkizi, and where the famous Nyamasizi Hot Springs are situated.

Kinkizi, North West of what is now Kabale District and shares its borders with Dep Rep Congo, Kisoro and Lake Edward.

Kisoro, South West, bordering on Rubanda, Rwanda and the Dep Rep Congo, and in which Lakes Mutanda and Lake Kyahafi are situated.

Rujumbura, which was the most Northerly county of the district and bordered on the former District of Ankole and Lake Edward.

Note that after the sub-division of Kigezi into the 4 current Districts, they were named after their respective main towns, namely Kabale, Kanungu, Kisoro and Rukingiri.

Note that notwithstanding these sub-divisions the 4 districts are predominantly inhabited by the Bakiga people followed by the Bahororo and Banyarwanda people. All these ethnic groups share the same characteristics and traditions. The region is uniquely characterised by the great Lakes, which include Lake Bunyonyi, Lake Edward, Lake Mutanda and Lake Kyahafi.

There are also the volcanic mountains known as Muhavura Mountains, and Bwindi forests with its famous gorilla population, the very high mountain ranges, particularly in Kabale, Kisoro and Kanungu districts and the Intermittent expansive swamp areas in the valleys. Some of which, particularly those in Kabale district have been reclaimed for pastureland.

Paul Ngologoza’s' book Kigezi and Its People provides detailed information about the Bakiga people, their traditions and history.

Traditionally the people of this region are known as some of the more serious and hardworking ethnic groups of Uganda and all these attributes distinguishes the region of Kigezi from other parts of the country.