Kamwenge District

Kamwenge District
—  District  —
District location in Uganda
Coordinates:
Country  Uganda
Region Western Uganda
Sub-region Toro sub-region
Capital Kamwenge
Area
 • Total 2,304 km2 (889.6 sq mi)
 • Land 2,239.9 km2 (864.8 sq mi)
 • Water 64.1 km2 (24.7 sq mi)
Population (2010 Estimate)
 • Total 363,200
 • Density 162.2/km2 (420.1/sq mi)
Time zone EAT (UTC+3)
Website Homepage

Kamwenge District is a district in Western Uganda. Like most other Ugandan districts, it is named after its 'chief town', Kamwenge, where the district headquarters are located. Kamwenge District is part of the Kingdom of Toro, one of the ancient traditional monarchies in Uganda. The kingdom is coterminous with Toro sub-region, home to an estimated 1 million inhabitants in 2002, according to the national population and housing census conducted that year. The districts that constitute the sub-region are:

Contents

Location

Kamwenge District is bordered by Kyenjojo District to the north, Kyegegwa District and Kiruhura District to the northeast, Ibanda District to the east and southeast, Rubirizi District to the southwest, Kasese District to the west and Kabarole District to the northwest.[1] Kamwenge, the district headquarters lies approximately 300 kilometres (190 mi), by road, west of Uganda's capital, Kampala.[2] The coordinates of the district are:00 11N, 30 27E.

Overview

The district covers an area of approximately 2,304 square kilometres (890 sq mi). Of this, 64.1 square kilometres (24.7 sq mi) (2.6%) is covered by open water. It is predominantly a rural district with some of the worst poverty levels in the country. The district does not have a hospital.

Kamwenge is made up of two (2) counties and one (1) Municipal Council:

The district is endowed with numerous wetlands, tropical forests in the Kashoha/Kitomi region, and Kibaale National Park, which it shares with Kibale District and Kyenjojo District. In Bwizi subcounty, there are pockets of highland tropical forest on the mountain ranges. There are numerous aquatic systems in the district including:

Population

The 2002 national census estimated the population of Kamwenge District at about 295,300, of whom 51.5% were female and 48.5% were female.[3] The annual population growth rate of the district was approximately 3%. It is estimated that in 2010, the population of the district was approximately 363,200. See table below:

Kamwenge District Population Trends
Year Estimated Population
2002 295,300
2003 304,200
2004 313,300
2005 322,700
2006 335,000
2007 332,400
2008 342,300
2009 352,600
2010 363,200

The predominant ethnic group in the district are Batoro. However, there are a sizable number of Bakiga who have settled in the district. The languages spoken include:

Economic activities

Agriculture is the mainstay of the district economy. Crops raised include:

In the Kitagwenda area of the district, there is fishing, some of it for commercial purposes.

External links

See also

References