Mount Elgon District
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Mount Elgon District (Mt. Elgon District) is an administrative district in the Western Province of Kenya. Its capital town is Kapsokwony.
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[edit] Geography and demographics
The district is located on southeastern slopes of Mount Elgon. The district has a population of 135,033 (1999 census) and an area of 944 sq km [1].
Although Kapsokwony is the headquarters of the district, Cheptais is probably the economic heart of the district, as it contributes a great deal to the economy of the district.
Mt. Elgon is predominantly occupied by the Sabaots, Iteso and Bukusu communities.
[edit] Government
The district has only one local authority: Mount Elgon county council.
| Administrative divisions | |||
| Division | Population* | Urban pop.* | Headquarters |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cheptais | 40,069 | 3,426 | Cheptais |
| Kapsokwony | 24,526 | 1,586 | Kapsokwony |
| Kaptama | 23,885 | 0 | |
| Kopsiro | 45,964 | 0 | |
| Total | 135,033 | 5,012 | - |
| * 1999 census. Sources: [2], [3], | |||
[edit] Parliamentary representation
The district has one constituency: Mt Elgon.
[edit] Land dispute
In the 1970's, some 600 Mosop families who lived in the forests around Mount Elgon were resettled in Chebyuk to make way for a game reserve. They were soon joined by the Soy people; in the land allocations which followed the resettlement, the Mosop were given some 65 percent of the land, while the Soy were given the remaining 35 percent. Over the decades, other ethnicities moved into the Chebyuk settlement, which complicated the land situation.
A violent conflict began in December 2006 in the district between the Soy and Mosop subethnicities of the Sabaot ethnic group over allegations of unfair land allocation. A Sabaot Land Defense Force was formed, which led to a number of killings in the region. As of late 2007, some 150 people had died in the conflict, while over 45,000 people have been displaced from their homes in the Mount Elgon region to other towns such as Kitale, Chepkitale and Kimilili.
