Sembabule 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 Central 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

Sembabule Sembabule (sometimes spelled Ssembabule) is a town in Sembabule District in the Central Region of Uganda. The town is the main municipal, administrative, and commercial center of the district and the site of the district headquarters. Location ...

is the site of the district headquarters. Other urban centers in the district include Lwemiyaga and Ntuusi.

Location

Sembabule District is bordered by

Mubende District Mubende is a district in the Central Region of Uganda. The town of Mubende is the site of the district headquarters. The district was reduced in size in July 2005 with the creation of the Mityana District and reduced again in 2019 with the creati ...

to the north,

Gomba District Gomba is a district in Central Uganda. Location Gomba District is bordered by Mubende District to the west and north, Mityana District to the northeast and Butambala District to the east. Kalungu District, Bukomansimbi District and Sembabule Di ...

to the northeast,

Bukomansimbi District Bukomansimbi District is a district in Central Uganda. The district is named after its main municipal center, Bukomansimbi, the location of the district headquarters. Location Bukomansimbi District is bordered by Gomba District to the north, K ...

to the east,

Lwengo District Lwengo District is a district in the Central Region of Uganda. Lwengo is the largest town in the district and the location of the district headquarters. Location Lwengo District is bordered by Sembabule District to the north, Bukomansimbi Distr ...

to the south,

Lyantonde District Lyantonde District is a district in southern Central Uganda. It is named after the 'chief town' of the district, Lyantonde, where the district headquarters are located. Location Lyantonde District is bordered by Sembabule District to the north a ...

to the southwest, and

Kiruhura District Kiruhura District is a district in the Western Region of Uganda. The town of Rushere is the site of the district headquarters. Location Kiruhura District is bordered by Kamwenge District and Kyegegwa District to the north, Sembabule District to ...

to the northwest. The town of Sembabule is approximately , by road, northwest of

Masaka Masaka is a city in the Buganda Region of Uganda, west of Lake Victoria. The city is the headquarters of Masaka District. Location Masaka is approximately to the south-west of Kampala on the highway to Mbarara. The city is close to the Equator ...

, the largest town in the sub-region.

Overview

Sembabule District was carved out of

Masaka District Masaka District is a district in Buganda Kingdom in Uganda. Its main town is Masaka City, whose estimated population in 2011 was 74,100. Location The district is bordered by Bukomansimbi District to the north-west, Kalungu District to the north, ...

in 1997. The district is generally a rural district that receives relatively low rainfall and has long dry spells. This greatly affects agriculture, but cattle keeping is not seriously affected. Some cattle are reared on ranches. Ranching and

dairy farming Dairy farming is a class of agriculture for long-term production of milk, which is processed (either on the farm or at a dairy plant, either of which may be called a dairy A dairy is a business enterprise established for the harvesting or ...

are the backbone of the district's economy. Administratively, the district has two counties ( Lwemiyaga and Mawogola Counties) that are divided into the following sub-counties: * Mateete * Rwebitakuri * Mijwala * Lugusulu * Ntuusi * ((Lwemiyaga)) * Sembabule TC

Population

In 1991, the national population census estimated the district population at 144,040. The 2002 national census estimated the population at 180,050, with an annual growth rate of 2 percent. In 2012, the population was estimated at 219,600.

Economic activities

Agriculture is the mainstay of the district economy. Agriculture involves both crop and animal husbandry. Because of the relatively dry climate,

cattle ranching A ranch (from es, rancho/Mexican Spanish) is an area of land, including various structures, given primarily to ranching, the practice of raising grazing livestock such as cattle and sheep. It is a subtype of a farm. These terms are most often ...

for beef and

are the most important economic activities in the district.

Fish farming upright=1.3, Salmon farming in the sea (mariculture) at Loch Ainort, Isle of Skye">mariculture.html" ;"title="Salmon farming in the sea (mariculture">Salmon farming in the sea (mariculture) at Loch Ainort, Isle of Skye, Scotland Fish farming or ...

is being implemented increasingly in the district as well. The produce of the district is marketed in Uganda's larger cities and in area towns including

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 Ruba ...

, and

Rakai Rakai is a town in the Central Region of Uganda. It is the site of the headquarters of Rakai District. Other towns in the district include Kalisizo, Kyotera Kakuuto and Mutukula. Location The nearest town is Kyotera, in Kyotera District, locat ...

. The crops grown for food and sale include: * Sweet bananas *

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 ...

* Potatoes *

Cassava ''Manihot esculenta'', common name, commonly called cassava (), manioc, or yuca (among numerous regional names), is a woody shrub of the spurge family, Euphorbiaceae, native to South America. Although a perennial plant, cassava is extensively ...

* Yams *

Maize Maize ( ; ''Zea mays'' subsp. ''mays'', from es, maíz after tnq, mahiz), also known as corn (North American and Australian English), is a cereal grain first domesticated by indigenous peoples in southern Mexico about 10,000 years ago. Th ...

Millet Millets () are a highly varied group of small-seeded grasses, widely grown around the world as cereal crops or grains for fodder and human food. Most species generally referred to as millets belong to the tribe Paniceae, but some millets al ...

Cabbage Cabbage, comprising several cultivars of ''Brassica oleracea'', is a leafy green, red (purple), or white (pale green) biennial plant grown as an annual vegetable crop for its dense-leaved heads. It is descended from the wild cabbage ( ''B.&nb ...

* Peas *

Mango A mango is an edible stone fruit produced by the tropical tree ''Mangifera indica''. It is believed to have originated in the region between northwestern Myanmar, Bangladesh, and northeastern India. ''M. indica'' has been cultivated in South a ...

s *

Pineapple The pineapple (''Ananas comosus'') is a tropical plant with an edible fruit; it is the most economically significant plant in the family Bromeliaceae. The pineapple is indigenous to South America, where it has been cultivated for many centuri ...

* Groundnuts *

Passion fruit ''Passiflora edulis,'' commonly known as passion fruit, is a vine species of passion flower native to southern Brazil through Paraguay and northern Argentina. It is cultivated commercially in tropical and subtropical areas for its sweet, seedy ...

Points of interest

In the region around Bwera, there is a site known as

Bigo bya Mugenyi Bigo bya Mugenyi, also Bigo (the word “Bigo” meaning city), is an extensive alignment of ditches and berms comprising ancient earthworks located in the interlacustrine region of southwestern Uganda. Situated on the southern shore of the Katonga ...

, which appears to be the location of human settlement dating back to the late

Iron Age The Iron Age is the final epoch of the three-age division of the prehistory and protohistory of humanity. It was preceded by the Stone Age (Paleolithic, Mesolithic, Neolithic) and the Bronze Age (Chalcolithic). The concept has been mostly appl ...

(1200 - 1000BC). Excavations at the site have yielded iron blades (most probably used for harvesting grain),

pottery Pottery is the process and the products of forming vessels and other objects with clay and other ceramic materials, which are fired at high temperatures to give them a hard and durable form. Major types include earthenware, stoneware and por ...

with simple decorations, cattle dung, and post-holes for fencing.

References

External links

Ssembeguya Has Raised 35,000 Goats
{{Authority control Districts of Uganda Central Region, Uganda