Kamuli 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, subdivisions o ...

in the Eastern Region of

Uganda }), is a landlocked country in East Africa East Africa, Eastern Africa, or East of Africa, is the eastern subregion of the African continent. In the United Nations Statistics Division scheme of geographic regions, 10-11-(16*) territor ...

. The town of

Kamuli Kamuli is a town in the Eastern Region of Uganda. It is the main municipal, administrative, and commercial centre of Kamuli District, and the district headquarters are located there. The district is named after the town. Location Kamuli is ap ...

is the site of the district headquarters.

Location

Kamuli District is bordered by

Buyende District Buyende 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 Buyende District is bordered by Amolatar District to the northwest, Kaberamaid ...

to the north,

Luuka District Luuka 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 so ...

to the east,

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 south, and

Kayunga District Kayunga District is a district in Central Uganda. It is named after its chief town, Kayunga. Geography Kayunga District is bordered by Amolatar District to the north, Buyende District to the northeast, Kamuli District to the east, Jinja Distri ...

to the west. The district headquarters at Kamuli are approximately , by road, north of Jinja, the largest city in the Busoga sub-region.

Population

In December 1991, the district had a population of about 249,300 according to the national census. In 2002, the census estimated the population at 361,400, with 40.5 percent male and 59.5 percent female. In 2012, the population was estimated at 500,800.

Ethnicity and language

The district is a multi-ethnic and multi-cultural society, with the predominant ethnic group being the

Basoga The Soga (or Basoga) are a Bantu ethnic group native to the kingdom of Busoga in eastern Uganda. History Early contact with European explorers Busoga's written history began in 1862. On 28 July Royal Geographical Society explorer John Han ...

who comprise 76 percent of the population. The

Iteso people The Iteso (or people of Teso) are a Nilotic ethnic group in eastern Uganda and western Kenya. Teso refers to the traditional homeland of the Iteso, and '' Ateso'' is their language. History Origins The exact origins of the Iteso remain un ...

make up 3.9 percent and the

Banyoro Bunyoro or Bunyoro-Kitara is a Bantu kingdom in Western Uganda. It was one of the most powerful kingdoms in Central and East Africa from the 13th century to the 19th century. It is ruled by the King ('' Omukama'') of Bunyoro-Kitara. The cur ...

and Bagungu together make up 1.8 percent. Other Ugandan ethnicities make up the remainder (18.3 percent). The predominantly language spoken in Kamuli District is

Lusoga Soga, or Lusoga, is a Bantu language spoken by the Soga people of the Busoga region in Eastern Uganda. With over three million speakers, it is one of the major languages of Uganda, after English, Swahili, and Luganda. However, it is largely re ...

, with some

Luganda The Ganda language or Luganda (, , ) is a Bantu language spoken in the African Great Lakes region. It is one of the major languages in Uganda and is spoken by more than 10 million Baganda and other people principally in central Uganda including ...

and

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

. The district is part of the Busoga sub-region, which is coterminous with the

Kingdom of Busoga Busoga ( Lusoga: Obwakyabazinga bwa Busoga) is a kingdom and one of four constitutional monarchies in present-day Uganda. The kingdom is a cultural institution which promotes popular participation and unity among the people of the region throu ...

Economic activities

Means of earning a livelihood in Kamuli District include: * Fishing * Ranching * Farming * Fish farming * Bee keeping * Retail trade * Quarrying The crops grown include the following: * Upland rice * Paddy rice *

Matooke Matoke, locally also known as matooke, amatooke in Buganda (Central Uganda), ekitookye in southwestern Uganda, ekitooke in western Uganda, kamatore in Lugisu (Eastern Uganda), ebitooke in northwestern Tanzania, igitoki in Rwanda, Burundi and b ...

* Sweet bananas * Maize * Millet * Soybeans * Groundnuts * Oranges * Mangoes * Potatoes * Beans * Simsim * Sunflower * Tomatoes * Onions * Coffee * Cotton * Sugarcane Livestock kept includes cattle, goats, sheep, and chicken.

Non-government organizations

Since 2003, Iowa State University's Center for Sustainable Rural Livelihoods has worked side-by-side with Kamuli District residents to discover and implement sustainable solutions to meeting the community’s most urgent needs. Starting with farmer training, the center has evolved into programming that touches every stage of the life cycle. The Iowa State University-Uganda Program is headquartered in Kamuli.

Notable people

* Patrick Kimumwe - Ugandan soldier, rebel, and author

References

External links

Sugar As a Potential Vehicle for Vitamin A Fortification: Experience from Kamuli District in Uganda
{{Districts of Uganda Busoga Districts of Uganda Eastern Region, Uganda White Nile