Masaka District
Encyclopedia
Masaka District is a district
in Central Uganda
. Its main town is Masaka
, whose estimated population in 2011 was 74,100.
to the northwest, Kalungu District
to the north, Kalangala District
to the east and south, Rakai District
to the southwest and Lwengo District
to the west. Masaka
, where the district headquarters are located, lies approximately 140 kilometres (87 mi), by road, southwest of Kampala
on the highway to Mbarara
. The coordinates of the district are:00 30S, 31 45E. The average altitude of the district is 1115 metres (3,658.1 ft) above sea level.
. Later, the northern part of Rakai District was removed to form Lyantonde District
. In 1997, Mawogola County was split from Buddu and was named Sembabule District
. Buddu remained as Masaka District.
In 2010, Buddu itself was split into four districts namely:
Masaka District Population Trends
followed by the Banyankole, Banyarwanda
and Banyoro. But most of the tribes practice Buganda culture. The main language spoken is Luganda.
The main staples are millet
and Matooke.
Districts of Uganda
Uganda is divided into 111 districts and one city across four administrative regions. Most districts are named after their main commercial and administrative towns....
in Central Uganda
Central Region, Uganda
Central Region is a region of Uganda. It is coterminous with the Kingdom of Buganda, one of the ancient African monarchies that are constitutionally recognised in Uganda. It is divided into the following districts:...
. Its main town is Masaka
Masaka
Masaka is a town in Central Uganda, lying west of Lake Victoria. It is the chief town of Masaka District. Besides being the headquarters of Masaka District, the town is the regional headquarters and largest metropolitan area in Lyantonde District, Sembabule District, Lwengo District, Bukomansimbi...
, whose estimated population in 2011 was 74,100.
Location
The district is bordered by Bukomansimbi DistrictBukomansimbi District
Bukomansimbi District is a district in Central Uganda. The district is named after its main municipal center, Bukomansimbi, the location of the district headquarters.-Location:...
to the northwest, Kalungu District
Kalungu District
Kalungu District is a district in southern Central Uganda. It is named after the 'chief town' of the district, Kalungu, where the district headquarters are located.-Location:...
to the north, Kalangala District
Kalangala District
Kalangala is a district in southern Central Uganda. The district is coterminous with the Ssese Islands in Lake Victoria and does not have territory on mainland Uganda...
to the east and south, Rakai District
Rakai District
Rakai District is a district in Central Uganda. Like most other Ugandan districts, it is named after its 'chief town', Rakai.-Location:Rakai District borders Lyantonde District to the northwest, Lwengo District to the north, Masaka District to the northeast, Kalangala District to the east, the...
to the southwest and Lwengo District
Lwengo District
Lwengo District is a district in Central Uganda. It is named after Lwengo, the largest town in the district and the location of the district headquarters.-Location:...
to the west. Masaka
Masaka
Masaka is a town in Central Uganda, lying west of Lake Victoria. It is the chief town of Masaka District. Besides being the headquarters of Masaka District, the town is the regional headquarters and largest metropolitan area in Lyantonde District, Sembabule District, Lwengo District, Bukomansimbi...
, where the district headquarters are located, lies approximately 140 kilometres (87 mi), by road, southwest of Kampala
Kampala
Kampala is the largest city and capital of Uganda. The city is divided into five boroughs that oversee local planning: Kampala Central Division, Kawempe Division, Makindye Division, Nakawa Division and Lubaga Division. The city is coterminous with Kampala District.-History: of Buganda, had chosen...
on the highway to Mbarara
Mbarara
Mbarara is a town in Western Uganda. It is the main municipal, administrative and commercial center of Mbarara District and the location of the district headquarters. It is also the largest urban centre in Western Uganda.-Location:...
. The coordinates of the district are:00 30S, 31 45E. The average altitude of the district is 1115 metres (3,658.1 ft) above sea level.
Overview
Masaka District was established in the 1900's comprising what were the Buganda Kingdom counties of Buddu, Kooki, Kabula and Mawogola. Initially, Kooki and Kabula were peeled off to form Rakai DistrictRakai District
Rakai District is a district in Central Uganda. Like most other Ugandan districts, it is named after its 'chief town', Rakai.-Location:Rakai District borders Lyantonde District to the northwest, Lwengo District to the north, Masaka District to the northeast, Kalangala District to the east, the...
. Later, the northern part of Rakai District was removed to form Lyantonde District
Lyantonde District
Lyantonde District is a district in southern Central Uganda. It is named after the 'chief town' of the district, Lyantonde, where the district headquarters are located.-Location:...
. In 1997, Mawogola County was split from Buddu and was named Sembabule District
Sembabule District
Sembambule District is a district in Central Uganda. Like most other Ugandan districts, it is named after its 'chief town', Sembabule, where the district headquarters are located.-Location:...
. Buddu remained as Masaka District.
In 2010, Buddu itself was split into four districts namely:
- Bukomansimbi DistrictBukomansimbi DistrictBukomansimbi District is a district in Central Uganda. The district is named after its main municipal center, Bukomansimbi, the location of the district headquarters.-Location:...
- Kalungu DistrictKalungu DistrictKalungu District is a district in southern Central Uganda. It is named after the 'chief town' of the district, Kalungu, where the district headquarters are located.-Location:...
- Lwengo DistrictLwengo DistrictLwengo District is a district in Central Uganda. It is named after Lwengo, the largest town in the district and the location of the district headquarters.-Location:...
- Masaka District
Population
The 2002 national census estimated the population of Masaka District at 228,200, with an annual population growth rate of 3.0%. With those statistics, it is estimated that in 2010, the population of the district was approximately 289,000. See table below:Masaka District Population Trends
| Year | Estimated Population |
|---|---|
| 2002 | 228,200 |
| 2003 | 235,050 |
| 2004 | 242,100 |
| 2005 | 249,350 |
| 2006 | 256,800 |
| 2007 | 264,500 |
| 2008 | 272,400 |
| 2009 | 280,600 |
| 2010 | 289,000 |
Culture and Ethnic composition
The district has a rich cultural heritage. It has also a diversity of ethnicities. The majority of the people are BagandaBaganda
The Ganda are an ethnic group native to Buganda, a subnational kingdom within Uganda. Traditionally comprising 52 tribes the Ganda have a rich history and culture...
followed by the Banyankole, Banyarwanda
Banyarwanda
Banyarwanda actually means the people of Hutu, Tutsi and Batwah. Some lived on the present territory of the DRC before colonization, while others have migrated from neighboring Rwanda in waves. They live in the provinces of North Kivu and South Kivu, Democratic Republic of Congo....
and Banyoro. But most of the tribes practice Buganda culture. The main language spoken is Luganda.
Economic activities
The major economic activities in Masaka District include:- Food crop agriculture (matooke, sweet bananas, pineapples, and tomatoes),
- Cash crop agriculture (coffeeCoffeeCoffee is a brewed beverage with a dark,init brooo acidic flavor prepared from the roasted seeds of the coffee plant, colloquially called coffee beans. The beans are found in coffee cherries, which grow on trees cultivated in over 70 countries, primarily in equatorial Latin America, Southeast Asia,...
and cottonCottonCotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective capsule, around the seeds of cotton plants of the genus Gossypium. The fiber is almost pure cellulose. The botanical purpose of cotton fiber is to aid in seed dispersal....
), - Animal Ranching (cattleCattleCattle are the most common type of large domesticated ungulates. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae, are the most widespread species of the genus Bos, and are most commonly classified collectively as Bos primigenius...
, goats, and chickenChickenThe chicken is a domesticated fowl, a subspecies of the Red Junglefowl. As one of the most common and widespread domestic animals, and with a population of more than 24 billion in 2003, there are more chickens in the world than any other species of bird...
) - Fishing on Lake VictoriaLake VictoriaLake Victoria is one of the African Great Lakes. The lake was named for Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom, by John Hanning Speke, the first European to discover this lake....
- Fish farmingFish farmingFish farming is the principal form of aquaculture, while other methods may fall under mariculture. Fish farming involves raising fish commercially in tanks or enclosures, usually for food. A facility that releases young fish into the wild for recreational fishing or to supplement a species'...
- Small scale industry:
- Coffee processing
- Manufacture of soft drinks
- Metal fabrication/welding
- Cotton ginning
- Retail trade in food products and manufactured goods.
The main staples are millet
Millet
The millets are a group of small-seeded species of cereal crops or grains, widely grown around the world for food and fodder. They do not form a taxonomic group, but rather a functional or agronomic one. Their essential similarities are that they are small-seeded grasses grown in difficult...
and Matooke.