Mbale District

Mbale District
—  District  —
District location in Uganda
Coordinates: 00°57′N 34°20′E
Country	Uganda
Region	Eastern Uganda
Sub-region	Bugisu sub-region
Capital	Mbale
Area
• Total	2,467 km2 (953 sq mi)
Population (2010 Estimate)
• Total	410,300
• Density	166.3/km2 (431/sq mi)
Time zone	EAT (UTC+3)
Website	Homepage

Mbale District is a district in Eastern Uganda. It is named after the largest city in the district, Mbale, which also servess as the main administrative and commercial center in the sub-region.

Location

Mbale District is bordered by Sironko District to the north, Bududa District to the northeast, Manafwa District to the southeast, Tororo District to the south, Butaleja District to the southwest and Budaka District to the west. Pallisa District and Kumi District lie to the northwest of Mbale District. The coordinates of the district are:00 57N, 34 20E.

It has an area of 2,467 square kilometres (953 sq mi). Its central town and commercial centre is Mbale, which is also the location of the district headquarters. The districts of Bududa, Manafwa and Sironko were part of Mbale District before they were split off as independent districts of their own.

Population

The national census of 2002 estimated the population of Mbale District at 332,200, with an annual population growth rate of 2.5%. With those statistics, it is estimated that the population of the district in 2010 was approximately 410,300. See table below:

Mbale District Population Trends

Year Estimated Population 2002 332,200 2003 341,100 2004 350,400 2005 359,800 2006 369,500 2007 379,500 2008 389,800 2009 400,300 2010 410,300 The district population is 92% rural. The main ethnic group in the district are the Bamasaba or Bagisu. The main language spoken in the district is Lugisu also known as Lumasaba. Economic activity The primary economic activity in the district is agriculture. Some of the main crops are coffee, beans, Matooke, maize, onions, potatoes, carrots, and sweet potatoes. Education The Islamic University in Uganda (IUIU) is based in the city of Mbale. Nabumali High School, a mixed, boarding secondary school, is also located in Mbale District, approximately 11 kilometres (6.8 mi), by road, south of Mbale, on the Mbale-Tororo Road. Twinning Mbale was formally linked with Pontypridd, Wales through local and regional twinning ceremonies in 2005. The link was intended to associate professionals and organizations in Pontypridd with their counterparts in Africa, under the auspices of charity PONT - the Partnerships Overseas Networking Trust. Famous people from Mbale Notable people from Mbale District include the following: Werikhe Kafabusa - Uganda's State Minister for Housing, 2006 - 2011 Zandya Mutwalibi Mafabi - Mayor of Mbale, 2011 - 2016 External links Government District information portal: Mbale See also Mbale Uganda Mbale Kenya Islamic University in Uganda Nabumali High School Bugisu sub-region Eastern Region, Uganda Districts of Uganda References