Bugiri District
Encyclopedia
Bugiri District is a district
in Eastern Uganda
. Like most other Ugandan districts, it is named after its 'chief town', Bugiri
, where the district headquarters are located.
and Butaleja District
to the north, Tororo District
to the northeast, Busia District
to the east, Namayingo District
to the southeast, Mayuge District
to the southwest and Iganga District
to the west. Bugiri
, the district headquarters is located approximately 77 kilometres (47.8 mi), by road, east of Jinja
, the largest city in Busoga sub-region
. The coordinates of the district are:00 33N, 33 45E (Latitude:0.5500; Longitude:33.7500).
, to which it used to belong. The land surface is characterized by gentle undulating hills with few higher residual features. Another feature of the district is its being located in a flat and rolling topographical zone with 90% of its landmass constituting the drainage basins of Lake Victoria
and Lake Kyoga
. As a result, there are numerous swamps that criss-cross the road network, making the cost of the road improvement costly. In July 2010, the southern part of Bugiri District was split off to form Namayingo District
.
Bugiri District is part of Busoga sub-region
, which is conterminous with Busoga Kingdom
, one of the constitutionally recognised kingdoms in Uganda
. The districts that constitute Busoga sub-region include the following:
According to the 2002 national census, the subregion was home to an estimated 2.5 million people at that time.
{| style="font-size:100%;"
|-
| width="100%" align="center" | Bugiri District Population Trends
|- valign="top"
|
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto"
! style="width:2em;" |Year!! Estimated Population
|-
|2002||266,900
|-
|2003||274,400
|-
|2004||282,000
|-
|2005||290,000
|-
|2006||298,100
|-
|2007||306,500
|-
|2008||315,000
|-
|2009||323,900
|-
|2010||332,900
|-
|}
Tilda Uganda Limited (TUL), a commercial agricultural company belonging to the Madhvani Group
, grows rice on a commercial basis at Kibimba Rice Scheme, in the extreme east of Bugiri District. Private out growers also sell their produce to TUL.
Due to the abundance of freshwater bodies in the district, commercial fishing is actively practiced by many in Bugiri District. At one time, the district produced in excess of forty (40) metric tones of fish on a daily basis. Unfortunately, due to unregulated fishing, the fish reserves in Lake Victoria
have been severely disrupted to near-depletion. The daily catch has since markedly fallen from those high numbers. At the height of the fish boom, 75% of the output was exported (mainly to Western Europe
), 20% was consumed locally and 5% was lost in processing.
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 Eastern Uganda
Eastern Region, Uganda
Eastern Region is a region of Uganda. It is divided into the following districts:...
. Like most other Ugandan districts, it is named after its 'chief town', Bugiri
Bugiri
Bugiri is a town in Eastern Uganda. It is the 'chief town' of Bugiri District and the district headquarters are located there. The district is named after the town.-Location:...
, where the district headquarters are located.
Location
Bugiri District is bordered by Namutumba DistrictNamutumba District
Namutumba District, sometimes referred to as Busiki District is a district in Eastern Uganda. It's named after its 'chief town', Namutumba, where the district headquarters are located.-Location:...
and Butaleja District
Butaleja District
Butaleja District is a district in Eastern Uganda. Its named after its 'chief town', Butaleja, where the district headquarters are located.-Location:...
to the north, Tororo District
Tororo District
Tororo District is a district in Eastern Uganda. Like most other Ugandan districts, it is named after its "chief town", Tororo.-Location:Tororo District is bordered by Mbale District to the north, Manafwa District to the northeast, the Republic of Kenya to the east, Busia District to the south,...
to the northeast, Busia District
Busia District, Uganda
Busia District is a district in the Eastern region of Uganda. Like many other Ugandan districts, it is named after its main town, Busia.-Location:...
to the east, Namayingo District
Namayingo District
Namayingo District is a district in Eastern Uganda. The district is named after its 'chief town', Namayingo, where the district headquarters are located.-Location:Namayingo District is located along the Equator...
to the southeast, Mayuge District
Mayuge District
Mayuge District is a district in Eastern Uganda. Like many other Ugandan districts, it is named after its 'chief town', Mayuge, where the district headquarters are located.-Location:...
to the southwest and Iganga District
Iganga District
Iganga District is a district in Eastern Uganda. Like most other Ugandan districts, it is named after its 'chief town', Iganga, where the district headquarters are located.-Location:...
to the west. Bugiri
Bugiri
Bugiri is a town in Eastern Uganda. It is the 'chief town' of Bugiri District and the district headquarters are located there. The district is named after the town.-Location:...
, the district headquarters is located approximately 77 kilometres (47.8 mi), by road, east of Jinja
Jinja, Uganda
Jinja is the largest town in Uganda, Africa. It is the second busiest commercial center in the country, after Kampala, Uganda's capital and only city. Jinja was established in 1907.-Location:...
, the largest city in Busoga sub-region
Busoga
Busoga is a traditional Bantu kingdom in present-day Uganda.It is a cultural institution that promotes popular participation and unity among the people of Busoga, through cultural and developmental programs for the improved livelihood of the people of Busoga. It strives for a united people of...
. The coordinates of the district are:00 33N, 33 45E (Latitude:0.5500; Longitude:33.7500).
Overview
Bugiri District was carved out of Iganga DistrictIganga District
Iganga District is a district in Eastern Uganda. Like most other Ugandan districts, it is named after its 'chief town', Iganga, where the district headquarters are located.-Location:...
, to which it used to belong. The land surface is characterized by gentle undulating hills with few higher residual features. Another feature of the district is its being located in a flat and rolling topographical zone with 90% of its landmass constituting the drainage basins of Lake Victoria
Lake Victoria
Lake 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....
and Lake Kyoga
Lake Kyoga
Lake Kyoga is a large shallow lake complex of Uganda, about in area and at an elevation of 914 m. The Victoria Nile flows through the lake on its way from Lake Victoria to Lake Albert. The main inflow from Lake Victoria is regulated by the Nalubaale Power Station in Jinja. Another source of water...
. As a result, there are numerous swamps that criss-cross the road network, making the cost of the road improvement costly. In July 2010, the southern part of Bugiri District was split off to form Namayingo District
Namayingo District
Namayingo District is a district in Eastern Uganda. The district is named after its 'chief town', Namayingo, where the district headquarters are located.-Location:Namayingo District is located along the Equator...
.
Bugiri District is part of Busoga sub-region
Busoga sub-region
Busoga sub-region is a region in Eastern Uganda that consists of the following districts:* Bugiri District* Buyende District* Iganga District* Jinja District* Kaliro District* Kamuli District* Luuka District* Mayuge District* Namayingo District...
, which is conterminous with Busoga Kingdom
Busoga
Busoga is a traditional Bantu kingdom in present-day Uganda.It is a cultural institution that promotes popular participation and unity among the people of Busoga, through cultural and developmental programs for the improved livelihood of the people of Busoga. It strives for a united people of...
, one of the constitutionally recognised kingdoms in 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...
. The districts that constitute Busoga sub-region include the following:
- Bugiri District
- Buyende DistrictBuyende DistrictBuyende District is a district in Eastern Uganda. It is named after Buyende, the 'chief town' in the district and the location of the district headquarters.-Location:...
- Iganga DistrictIganga DistrictIganga District is a district in Eastern Uganda. Like most other Ugandan districts, it is named after its 'chief town', Iganga, where the district headquarters are located.-Location:...
- Jinja DistrictJinja DistrictJinja District is a district in Eastern Uganda. Like most Ugandan districts, it is named after its main municipal and commercial center, Jinja.-Location:...
- Kaliro DistrictKaliro DistrictKaliro District is a district in Eastern Uganda. It was created out of the eastern part of Kamuli District in 2006, and is now a fully fledged district...
- Kamuli DistrictKamuli DistrictKamuli District is a district in Eastern Uganda. Like most other Ugandan districts, it is named after its 'chief town' of Kamuli.-Location:Kamuli District is bordered by Buyende Districtto the north, Luuka District to the east, Jinja District to the south and Kayunga District to the west...
- Luuka DistrictLuuka DistrictLuuka District is a district in Eastern Uganda.-Location:Luuka District is bordered by Buyende District in the north, Kaliro District to the northeast, Iganga District to the southeast, Mayuge District to the south, Jinja District to the southwest and Kamuli District to the northwest...
- Mayuge DistrictMayuge DistrictMayuge District is a district in Eastern Uganda. Like many other Ugandan districts, it is named after its 'chief town', Mayuge, where the district headquarters are located.-Location:...
- Namayingo DistrictNamayingo DistrictNamayingo District is a district in Eastern Uganda. The district is named after its 'chief town', Namayingo, where the district headquarters are located.-Location:Namayingo District is located along the Equator...
- Namutumba DistrictNamutumba DistrictNamutumba District, sometimes referred to as Busiki District is a district in Eastern Uganda. It's named after its 'chief town', Namutumba, where the district headquarters are located.-Location:...
According to the 2002 national census, the subregion was home to an estimated 2.5 million people at that time.
Population
The 2002 national census estimated the population of the district at approximately 266,900. The annual population growth rate in the district is estimated at 2.8%. Given those statistics, it is estimated that the population of the district in 2010 was approximately 332,900. See table below:{| style="font-size:100%;"
|-
| width="100%" align="center" | Bugiri District Population Trends
|- valign="top"
|
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto"
! style="width:2em;" |Year!! Estimated Population
|-
|2002||266,900
|-
|2003||274,400
|-
|2004||282,000
|-
|2005||290,000
|-
|2006||298,100
|-
|2007||306,500
|-
|2008||315,000
|-
|2009||323,900
|-
|2010||332,900
|-
|}
Economic activities
Agriculture forms the backbone of the district, as it does in the majority of districts in the country. The main crops include:- Lowland RiceRiceRice is the seed of the monocot plants Oryza sativa or Oryza glaberrima . As a cereal grain, it is the most important staple food for a large part of the world's human population, especially in East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, and the West Indies...
- CassavaCassavaCassava , also called yuca or manioc, a woody shrub of the Euphorbiaceae native to South America, is extensively cultivated as an annual crop in tropical and subtropical regions for its edible starchy tuberous root, a major source of carbohydrates...
- MaizeMaizeMaize known in many English-speaking countries as corn or mielie/mealie, is a grain domesticated by indigenous peoples in Mesoamerica in prehistoric times. The leafy stalk produces ears which contain seeds called kernels. Though technically a grain, maize kernels are used in cooking as a vegetable...
- MilletMilletThe 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...
- Sweet potatoes
- 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,...
- SorghumSorghumSorghum is a genus of numerous species of grasses, one of which is raised for grain and many of which are used as fodder plants either cultivated or as part of pasture. The plants are cultivated in warmer climates worldwide. Species are native to tropical and subtropical regions of all continents...
- PeasPEASP.E.A.S. is an acronym in artificial intelligence that stands for Performance, Environment, Actuators, Sensors.-Performance:Performance is a function that measures the quality of the actions the agent did....
- Sweet bananas
- Matooke
Tilda Uganda Limited (TUL), a commercial agricultural company belonging to the Madhvani Group
Madhvani Group
The Madhvani Group of Companies commonly referred to as the Madhvani Group, is one of the largest conglomerates in Uganda, with a total asset base in excess of US$275 million, as of April 2009. The group has investments in Uganda, Rwanda, Southern Sudan, Tanzania, the Middle East, India and North...
, grows rice on a commercial basis at Kibimba Rice Scheme, in the extreme east of Bugiri District. Private out growers also sell their produce to TUL.
Due to the abundance of freshwater bodies in the district, commercial fishing is actively practiced by many in Bugiri District. At one time, the district produced in excess of forty (40) metric tones of fish on a daily basis. Unfortunately, due to unregulated fishing, the fish reserves in Lake Victoria
Lake Victoria
Lake 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....
have been severely disrupted to near-depletion. The daily catch has since markedly fallen from those high numbers. At the height of the fish boom, 75% of the output was exported (mainly to Western Europe
Western Europe
Western Europe is a loose term for the collection of countries in the western most region of the European continents, though this definition is context-dependent and carries cultural and political connotations. One definition describes Western Europe as a geographic entity—the region lying in the...
), 20% was consumed locally and 5% was lost in processing.