Mbarara District

Mbarara District
—  District  —
District location in Uganda
Coordinates: 00°36′S 30°36′E
Country	Uganda
Region	Western Uganda
Sub-region	Ankole sub-region
Capital	Mbarara
Area
• Total	1,846.4 km2 (712.9 sq mi)
Elevation	1,800 m (5,906 ft)
Population (2010 Estimate)
• Total	457,800
• Density	247.9/km2 (642.1/sq mi)
Time zone	EAT (UTC+3)
Website	Homepage

Mbarara District is a district in Western Uganda. The district was named after its chief municipal centre, the city of Mbarara, where the district headquarters are located.

Location

Mbarara District is bordered by Ibanda District to the north, Kiruhura District to the east, Isingiro District to the southeast, Ntungamo District to the southwest, Sheema District to the west and Buhweju District to the northwest. The district headquarters at Mbarara, the largest city in the sub-region, are located approximately 270 kilometres (170 mi), by road, southwest of Kampala, Uganda's capital city, and largest metropolitan area. The coordinates of the district are:00 36S, 30 36E.

Overview

Mbarara District is part of the Ankole sub-region. The districts that comprise Ankole include:

• Buhweju District
• Bushenyi District
• Ibanda District
• Isingiro District
• Kiruhura District
• Mbarara District
• Mitooma District
• Ntungamo District
• Rubirizi District
• Sheema District

The area covered by the above districts constituted the traditional Ankole Kingdom. In 1967, Milton Obote abolished the traditional kingdoms in Uganda. When Yoweri Museveni re-established them in 1993, Ankole did not re-constitute itself.

Mbarara district consists of one municipality (Mbarara Municipality), and nineteen (19) rural sub-counties, organized into two counties. Mbarara District covers an area of 1,846.4 square kilometres (712.9 sq mi), with an average elevation of about 1,800 metres (5,900 ft) above sea level. The district receives an average annual rainfall of 1,200 millimetres (47 in). Temperatures range between 17 °C (63 °F) and 30 °C (86 °F).

The administrative divisions of Mbarara District are the following:

1. Kashari Sub-county
2. Bubaare Subcounty
3. Bukiro Sub-county
4. Kagongi Sub-county
5. Kakiika Sub-county
6. Kashare Sub-county
7. Rubaya Subcounty
8. Rubindi Sub-county
9. Rwanyamahembe Sub-county
10. Biharwe Sub-county
11. Mbarara Municipality
12. Kakoba Sub-county
13. Kamukuzi Sub-county
14. Nyamitanga Sub-county
15. Rwampara Sub-county
16. Bugamba Sub-county
17. Mwizi Sub-county
18. Ndaija Sub-county
19. Nyakayojo Sub-county
20. Rugando Sub-county

Population

The 2002 national census estimated the district population at about 361,500, with an estimated growth rate of about 3%. Of these, 51% were female and 49% were male. 55% of the district population are aged between 0 and 18 years. It is estimated that the district population in 2010 was approximately 457,800. See table below:

Mbarara District Population Trends

Year Estimated Population 2002 361,500 2003 372,300 2004 383,500 2005 395,000 2006 406,800 2007 419,000 2008 431,600 2009 444,500 2010 457,800 Economic activities As is the case with the majority of Ugandan districts, agriculture is the mainstay of the economy of Mbarara District. Both crops and livestock are raised in the district, primarily on a subsistence level, but several commercial farms are located in the district. Crops grown include: Matooke Sweet Bananas Beans Sweet Potatoes Irish Potatoes Millet Cabbage Tomatoes Pineapples Avocado Passionfruit Papaya Mangoes The livestock raised in the district includes: Ankole cattle Exotic cattle Hybrid cattle Goats Sheep Pigs Rabbits Chicken Ducks Guineafowl Turkeys External links Mbarara District Information Portal See also Mbarara Ankole sub-region Ankole Kingdom Mbarara University Bishop Stuart University Western Region, Uganda References