Rukungiri District
Encyclopedia
Rukungiri District is a district
in Western Uganda
. It is named after its 'chief town' of Rukungiri
where the district headquarters are located.
to the north, Mitooma District
to the east, Ntungamo District
to the southeast, Kabale District
to the south, Kanungu District
to the west and the Democratic Republic of the Congo
to the northwest. The district headquarters at Rukungiri
are located approximately 385 kilometres (239.2 mi), by road, southwest of Kampala
, Uganda
's capital city. The coordinates of the district are:00 47S, 29 56S.
. When Kanungu District
was split off to form a separate district, Rukungiri District was reduced to two counties: Rujumbura County and Rubabo County.
Rukungiri District is endowed with rich soils and a good climate for agriculture. The district is the birth place of Colonel (Rtd) Kizza Warren Besigye Kifefe
, who was a candidate for the Ugandan Presidency in 2001, 2006 and 2011. Other prominent Ugandans who hail from Rukungiri District include General Aronda Nyakayirima
, the current "Chief of Defence Forces" of the Uganda People's Defense Force and Brigadier Henry Tumukunde
, formerly the Director of Uganda's Internal Security Organisation
(ISO). One of the Parliamentary representatives of this District is Major General (Rtd) James Muhwezi Katugugu
. The chairman of the Elections Commission in 1980, the late Kosia Kikira was also another prominent Ugandan from Rukungiri District.
{| style="font-size:100%;"
|-
| width="100%" align="center" | Rukungiri District Population Trends
|- valign="top"
|
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto"
! style="width:2em;" |Year !!Estimated Population
|-
|2002||275,200
|-
|2003||282,100
|-
|2004||324,300
|-
|2005||289,100
|-
|2006||296,400
|-
|2007||303,800
|-
|2008||311,400
|-
|2009||319,100
|-
|2010||327,100
|-
|}
and matooke.
The district also has some of the best dairy farms in the country especially in the sub counties of Kebisoni and Buyanja. About 3.52 million liters of milk are produced in the district annually. Due to the altitude, Rukungiri District is ideal for cultivation of all crops including temperate fruits. Thus in many sub counties there are successful farmers engaged in the production of grape
s, apple
s, pear
s and peach
es.
A number of people also derive their livelihood from fishing, particularly from Lake Edward
. Fish farming
is also practiced by some families.
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 Western Uganda
Western Region, Uganda
Western Region is a region of Uganda. It is divided into the following districts:...
. It is named after its 'chief town' of Rukungiri
Rukungiri
Rukungiri is a town in Western Uganda. It is the 'chief town' of Rukungiri District and the district headquarters are located there. The district was named after the town in 1980.-Location:...
where the district headquarters are located.
Location
Rukungiri District is bordered by Rubirizi DistrictRubirizi District
Rubirizi District is a district in Western Uganda. Like most Ugandan districts, the district is named after its 'chief town', Rubirizi, where the district headquarters are located.-Location:...
to the north, Mitooma District
Mitooma District
Mitooma District is a district in Western Uganda. It is named after its main municipal, administrative and commercial center, Mitooma.-Location:...
to the east, Ntungamo District
Ntungamo District
Ntungamo District is a district in Western Uganda. Like most Ugandan districts, it named after its 'chief town', Ntungamo, the location of the district headquarters.-Overview:...
to the southeast, Kabale District
Kabale District
Kabale District is a district in Western Uganda. As with most other Ugandan districts, it is named after its 'chief town', Kabale. It was originally part of the district of Kigezi, before the districts of Rukungiri, Kanungu and Kisoro were peeled off to form separate districts.-Location:Kabale...
to the south, Kanungu District
Kanungu District
Kanungu District is a district in Western Uganda. Like most other Ugandan districts, it is named after its 'chief town', Kanungu, where the district headquarters are located.-Location:...
to the west and the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Democratic Republic of the Congo
The Democratic Republic of the Congo is a state located in Central Africa. It is the second largest country in Africa by area and the eleventh largest in the world...
to the northwest. The district headquarters at Rukungiri
Rukungiri
Rukungiri is a town in Western Uganda. It is the 'chief town' of Rukungiri District and the district headquarters are located there. The district was named after the town in 1980.-Location:...
are located approximately 385 kilometres (239.2 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...
, Uganda
Uganda
Uganda , officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. Uganda is also known as the "Pearl of Africa". It is bordered on the east by Kenya, on the north by South Sudan, on the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the southwest by Rwanda, and on the south by...
's capital city. The coordinates of the district are:00 47S, 29 56S.
Overview
The district was created in 1974 and was known then as North Kigezi District. Its name changed to Rukungiri District in 1980, a name it derived from its 'chief town' of RukungiriRukungiri
Rukungiri is a town in Western Uganda. It is the 'chief town' of Rukungiri District and the district headquarters are located there. The district was named after the town in 1980.-Location:...
. When Kanungu District
Kanungu District
Kanungu District is a district in Western Uganda. Like most other Ugandan districts, it is named after its 'chief town', Kanungu, where the district headquarters are located.-Location:...
was split off to form a separate district, Rukungiri District was reduced to two counties: Rujumbura County and Rubabo County.
Rukungiri District is endowed with rich soils and a good climate for agriculture. The district is the birth place of Colonel (Rtd) Kizza Warren Besigye Kifefe
Kizza Besigye
Warren Kizza Besigye Kifefe, commonly known as Kizza Besigye, is a Ugandan physician, politician and former military officer, in the in the UPDF. He currently serves as the Chairman of the Forum for Democratic Change political party...
, who was a candidate for the Ugandan Presidency in 2001, 2006 and 2011. Other prominent Ugandans who hail from Rukungiri District include General Aronda Nyakayirima
Aronda Nyakairima
General Aronda Nyakairima is a Ugandan Army officer. He is the current Chief of Defense Forces of Uganda, the highest military rank in the Uganda People's Defense Force. He was born in 1959, in Rukungiri District.-Education:...
, the current "Chief of Defence Forces" of the Uganda People's Defense Force and Brigadier Henry Tumukunde
Henry Tumukunde
Brigadier Henry Tumukunde is a Senior Officer of the Uganda People's Defence Forces and a qualified attorney. He has served as the UPDF's Chief Of Personnel and Administration, Chief Of Military Intelligence as well as serving as the Commanding Officer of The UPDF Northern Fourth Division. He has...
, formerly the Director of Uganda's Internal Security Organisation
Internal Security Organisation
The Internal Security Organisation is the Uganda government's counter intelligence agency responsible for providing national security intelligence to Uganda's policy makers.It also engages in covert activities at the request of the President of the Uganda.Founded in 1986, The organisation took...
(ISO). One of the Parliamentary representatives of this District is Major General (Rtd) James Muhwezi Katugugu
Jim Muhwezi
Major General Jim Muhwezi Katugugu is a Ugandan lawyer, politician and retired military officer. He is the current elected Member of Parliament representing "Rujumbura County", Rukungiri District.-Education:...
. The chairman of the Elections Commission in 1980, the late Kosia Kikira was also another prominent Ugandan from Rukungiri District.
Population
The 2002 national census estimated the population of the district at 275,200. The district annual population growth rate was estimated at 2.5% in 2002. It is estimated that the population of the district in 2010 was approximately 327,100. See table below:{| style="font-size:100%;"
|-
| width="100%" align="center" | Rukungiri District Population Trends
|- valign="top"
|
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto"
! style="width:2em;" |Year !!Estimated Population
|-
|2002||275,200
|-
|2003||282,100
|-
|2004||324,300
|-
|2005||289,100
|-
|2006||296,400
|-
|2007||303,800
|-
|2008||311,400
|-
|2009||319,100
|-
|2010||327,100
|-
|}
Economic activities
The mainstay of the economy of Rukungiri District, like the rest of the country, is agriculture. More than 90% of the population are engaged in farming. Of the 1524.28 square kilometre total land area of the district, 1352.3 square kilometre is arable land. Out of these, 1150 square kilometre are already under cultivation. However, production is mainly subsistence although the soils are very fertile and with potential for intensive commercial farming. The two chief cash crops are coffeeCoffee
Coffee 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 matooke.
The district also has some of the best dairy farms in the country especially in the sub counties of Kebisoni and Buyanja. About 3.52 million liters of milk are produced in the district annually. Due to the altitude, Rukungiri District is ideal for cultivation of all crops including temperate fruits. Thus in many sub counties there are successful farmers engaged in the production of grape
Grape
A grape is a non-climacteric fruit, specifically a berry, that grows on the perennial and deciduous woody vines of the genus Vitis. Grapes can be eaten raw or they can be used for making jam, juice, jelly, vinegar, wine, grape seed extracts, raisins, molasses and grape seed oil. Grapes are also...
s, apple
Apple
The apple is the pomaceous fruit of the apple tree, species Malus domestica in the rose family . It is one of the most widely cultivated tree fruits, and the most widely known of the many members of genus Malus that are used by humans. Apple grow on small, deciduous trees that blossom in the spring...
s, pear
Pear
The pear is any of several tree species of genus Pyrus and also the name of the pomaceous fruit of these trees. Several species of pear are valued by humans for their edible fruit, but the fruit of other species is small, hard, and astringent....
s and peach
Peach
The peach tree is a deciduous tree growing to tall and 6 in. in diameter, belonging to the subfamily Prunoideae of the family Rosaceae. It bears an edible juicy fruit called a peach...
es.
A number of people also derive their livelihood from fishing, particularly from Lake Edward
Lake Edward
Lake Edward or Edward Nyanza is the smallest of the African Great Lakes. It is located in the western Great Rift Valley, on the border between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda, with its northern shore a few kilometres south of the Equator...
. Fish farming
Fish farming
Fish 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'...
is also practiced by some families.
Tourist attractions
The following tourist attractions are located in Rukungiri District:- Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park - 80 kilometres (49.7 mi), by road, southwest of downtown RukungiriRukungiriRukungiri is a town in Western Uganda. It is the 'chief town' of Rukungiri District and the district headquarters are located there. The district was named after the town in 1980.-Location:...
. Most of the area of the Park is found in Rukungiri District. - Queen Elizabeth National ParkQueen Elizabeth National Park-Location:The national park is located in western Uganda, spanning the districts of Kasese, Kamwenge, Bushenyi and Rukungiri. Its location is approximately , by road, southwest of Kampala, Uganda's capital and largest city. The town of Kasese lies just outside the northeastern edge of the park,...
- A significant part of the Park is found in Rukungiri District. - Hot Springs and Geysers - Located about 20 kilometres (12.4 mi), by road, from Rukungiri town; they include: (a) Ilimbo Hot Springs in Bwabara and (b) Minera Hot Springs in Kebisoni.
- Kisizi Falls - Located 40 kilometres (24.9 mi) along the RukungiriRukungiriRukungiri is a town in Western Uganda. It is the 'chief town' of Rukungiri District and the district headquarters are located there. The district was named after the town in 1980.-Location:...
-KabaleKabaleKabale is a city in Western Uganda. It is the 'chief town' of Kabale District and the district headquarters are located there. The district is named after the town.-Location:...
road. Location of a mini hydropower project that provides power to Kisizi Hospital. - Scenic Views - The escarpmentEscarpmentAn escarpment is a steep slope or long cliff that occurs from erosion or faulting and separates two relatively level areas of differing elevations.-Description and variants:...
s and deep valleys along the Rukungiri-Bwindi road offer a rare opportunity for scenic viewing.
Other points of interest
The following points of interest are located in Rukungiri District:- Kisizi Hospital - A 250-bed private hospital administered by the Church of UgandaChurch of UgandaThe Church of the Province of Uganda is a member church of the Anglican Communion. Currently there are 34 dioceses which make up the Church of Uganda, each headed by a bishop....
- Ishasha AirportIshasha AirportIshasha Airport is an airport in Uganda. It is one of the forty-six airports in the country.-Location:Ishasha Airport is located in the town of Ishasha, Rukungiri District, in western Uganda, approximately , by air, southwest of Entebbe International Airport, the country’s largest civilian and...
- An airfield located in Queen Elizabeth National ParkQueen Elizabeth National Park-Location:The national park is located in western Uganda, spanning the districts of Kasese, Kamwenge, Bushenyi and Rukungiri. Its location is approximately , by road, southwest of Kampala, Uganda's capital and largest city. The town of Kasese lies just outside the northeastern edge of the park,...
, near the town of Ishasha, close to the border with the Democratic Republic of the CongoDemocratic Republic of the CongoThe Democratic Republic of the Congo is a state located in Central Africa. It is the second largest country in Africa by area and the eleventh largest in the world...
.
See also
- RukungiriRukungiriRukungiri is a town in Western Uganda. It is the 'chief town' of Rukungiri District and the district headquarters are located there. The district was named after the town in 1980.-Location:...
- Kigezi sub-regionKigeziKigezi District once covered what are now Kabale District, Kanungu District, Kisoro District and Rukungiri District, in southwest Uganda. Its terraced fields are what gives this part of Uganda its distinctive character. Kigezi was popularly known as the Switzerland of East Africa...
- Western Region, UgandaWestern Region, UgandaWestern Region is a region of Uganda. It is divided into the following districts:...
- Districts of UgandaDistricts of UgandaUganda is divided into 111 districts and one city across four administrative regions. Most districts are named after their main commercial and administrative towns....