Buikwe District is a

district A district is a type of administrative division that, in some countries, is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or counties, several municipalities, subdivision ...

in the Central Region of

Uganda }), is a landlocked country in East Africa. The country is bordered to the east by Kenya, to the north by South Sudan, to the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, to the south-west by Rwanda, and to the south by Tanzania. The ...

. It is named after its 'chief town', Buikwe, where the district headquarters are located.

Location

Buikwe District is bordered by Kayunga District to the north,

Jinja District Jinja District is a district in the Eastern Region of Uganda. The town of Jinja is the district's main municipal and commercial center. Location Jinja District is bordered by Kamuli District to the north, Luuka District to the east, Mayuge Dist ...

to the east, Buvuma District to the southeast, the Republic of Tanzania to the south and

Mukono District Mukono is one of the districts in the Central Region of Uganda. The town of Mukono is home to the district's main commercial center and district headquarters. Location Mukono District is bordered by Kayunga District to the north, Jinja Dist ...

to the west. The district headquarters at Buikwe are located approximately , by road, east of

Kampala Kampala (, ) is the capital and largest city of Uganda. The city proper has a population of 1,680,000 and is divided into the five political divisions of Kampala Central Division, Kawempe Division, Makindye Division, Nakawa Division, and R ...

, the capital of

and the country's largest city. This location is approximately , by road, southeast of

Lugazi Lugazi is a town in the Buikwe District of the Central Region of Uganda. The town is also called "Kawolo", and the two names are interchangeably used by the local inhabitants. Location The town is on the Kampala-Jinja Highway, approximately ...

, the nearest large town. The coordinates of the district are:00 21N, 33 02E.

Overview

Buikwe District was created by Act of Parliament and it commenced operations on 1 July 2009. Prior to that, it was part of

Population

The 1991 national population census estimated the district population at about 250,500. The national census in 2002 estimated the population of Buikwe District at approximately 329,900. In 2012, the population of the district was estimated at 429,600.

Tourist Attractions

;Mabira Forest Reserve Mabira forest is located in the tropics north of the shoreline of

Lake Victoria Lake Victoria is one of the African Great Lakes. With a surface area of approximately , Lake Victoria is Africa's largest lake by area, the world's largest tropical lake, and the world's second-largest fresh water lake by surface area after ...

, immediately to the west of the

River Nile The Nile, , Bohairic , lg, Kiira , Nobiin: Áman Dawū is a major north-flowing river in northeastern Africa. It flows into the Mediterranean Sea. The Nile is the longest river in Africa and has historically been considered the longest riv ...

. Mabira covers an area of . It is the biggest forest reserve in central

and its one of the few surviving rain forests remaining in Uganda. Mabira is well known for

Ecotourism Ecotourism is a form of tourism involving responsible travel (using sustainable transport) to natural areas, conserving the environment, and improving the well-being of the local people. Its purpose may be to educate the traveler, to provide fund ...

which started way back in the early 1980s. The forest harbors in excess of 300 species of birds, many of which are rare; including the pied hornbill, superb sunbird, grey parrot, crowned eagle, black-billed turacos and the endangered Nahan's Frankolin. There are over 300 plant species, some of which are of medicinal value. Among the services offered to tourists are guided forest walks, camping sites, picnic sites and environmental education and entertainment with local drama groups. There is a network of trails to facilitate the exploration of the forest. ;River Nile The

Nile The Nile, , Bohairic , lg, Kiira , Nobiin: Áman Dawū is a major north-flowing river in northeastern Africa. It flows into the Mediterranean Sea. The Nile is the longest river in Africa and has historically been considered the longest riv ...

is the world's second-longest river, measuring an estimated in length. It starts its journey on the outskirts of Jinja and traverses

, southern Sudan,

Sudan Sudan ( or ; ar, السودان, as-Sūdān, officially the Republic of the Sudan ( ar, جمهورية السودان, link=no, Jumhūriyyat as-Sūdān), is a country in Northeast Africa. It shares borders with the Central African Republic t ...

and

Egypt Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning the North Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via a land bridg ...

to empty into the

Mediterranean Sea The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on ...

Alexandria Alexandria ( or ; ar, ٱلْإِسْكَنْدَرِيَّةُ ; grc-gre, Αλεξάνδρεια, Alexándria) is the second largest city in Egypt, and the largest city on the Mediterranean coast. Founded in by Alexander the Great, Alexandri ...

. The river is of great geographical and historical importance locally and internationally. In Uganda, the Nile has cultural importance as well as economic significance. Many communities along its shores derive their livelihood from fishing its waters. At its point of origin, Uganda has built three

hydroelectric dam Hydroelectricity, or hydroelectric power, is electricity generated from hydropower (water power). Hydropower supplies one sixth of the world's electricity, almost 4500 TWh in 2020, which is more than all other renewable sources combined a ...

s which provide electricity to many citizens in Uganda and neighboring countries. Uganda plans three other dams further upstream later in the present decade. In Sudan and Egypt, the river is considered to be the 'source of life' as its waters are used for irrigation and the support of agriculture for multitudes of people living along the river since time immemorial. ;The Source of the Nile River Nile forms the border between

Njeru Njeru is a town in Buikwe District, in the Central Region of Uganda. It is the largest town in the district. It is mainly a residential town. However, it hosts industries such as ''East African Packaging Solutions Limited'', a manufacturer of ...

in Buikwe District on the west and

Jinja, Uganda Jinja is a city in the Eastern Region of Uganda, located on the North shores of Lake Victoria. Location Jinja is in Jinja District, Busoga sub-region, in the Eastern Region of Uganda. It is approximately , by road, east of Kampala, the capital ...

on the east. At this point, the river flows from

to begin its three-months journey to the

. This point, viewed from Njeru, is visited by tourists and holidaymakers for its scenery. The deep waterfalls that John Hanning Speke saw in 1862 and named " Ripon Falls" were submerged when construction on Nalubaale Dam began in 1947. The dam was completed in 1954.

References

External links