Kitgum District

Kitgum District
District
District location in Uganda
Coordinates: 03°13′N 32°47′E
Country	Uganda
Region	Northern Uganda
Sub-region	Acholi sub-region
Capital	Kitgum
Area
• Total	3,960 km2 (1,530 sq mi)
Population  (2012 Estimate)
• Total	247,800
• Density	62.6/km2 (162/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+3 (EAT)
Website	www.kitgum.go.ug

Aruu falls located along Gulu Kitgum highway, in Pader district, northern Uganda.

Building hut in Kitgum IDP camp, Uganda.

Kitgum District is a district in Northern Uganda. It is named after its major town of Kitgum, where the district headquarters is located. It has suffered much fatalities and social disruption resulting from the 20-year civil war in the region during the late 20th century. The government moved tens of thousands of residents to internally displaced persons camps for their protection, where they were subject to raids by the rebels and also harsh conditions, including disease.

Location

Kitgum District is bordered by South Sudan to the north, Kaabong District to the east, Kotido District to the southeast, Agago District to the south, Pader District to the southwest and Lamwo District to the northwest. Kitgum, the largest town in the district, lies 108 kilometres (67 mi) northeast of Gulu, the largest city in the sub-region. It lies approximately 460 kilometres (290 mi) north of Uganda's capital, Kampala.

Overview

The district is composed of one county: Chua County. In 2010, Lamwo County was separated from Kitgum District to form Lamwo District. Kitgum District is a constituent part of Acholiland, home to an estimated 1.1 million Acholi, according to the 2002 national census.

Population

In 1991, the Ugandan national population census estimated the district population at about 104,600. According to the national census of 2002, Kitgum District had a population of about 167,000, of whom 51.3% were females and 48.7% were males. The annual population growth rate of the district, between 2002 and 2012, was calculated at 4.1%. It is estimated that the population of the district in 2012, was approximately 247,800.

Economic activities

Agriculture is the main economic activity in the district. Crops grown include the following:

• Millet
• Sorghum
• Beans
• Cassava
• Potatoes
• Peas
• Simsim
• Sunflower
• Cotton
• Tobacco
• Cabbage
• Tomatoes
• Sugarcane
• Groundnuts
• Cattle ranching

Graphite

The Orom-Cross Graphite Project is located approximately 6 km east (in a straight line) of the town of Orom and 75 km northeast of the town of Kitgum in northern Uganda. The nearest large settlement to the Project is the village of Orom, located in Chua East Country.

At a radius of 323 square kilometers, the Orom-Cross graphite project covers 10 villages in Orom East Sub County in Kitgum District.

Hepatitis epidemic

During late 2007 and early 2008, as many of the residents of the Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps started to return to their home areas following peace talks, an outbreak of Hepatitis E engulfed the community, and soon spread to the entire district. As of August 2008, a total of 8,157 cases had been identified; 62% were female, while 38% were male. The case fatality ratio was 1.52%. Seventy two percent (72%) of the fatalities were female. The epidemic has been traced to unsanitary sources of drinking water. By July 2009, the number of infected persons had increased to 10,243, of whom 162 died; a case fatality ratio of 1.58%.

Notable people

• Matthew Lukwiya, physician
• Janani Luwum, martyr. Anglican Archbishop of Uganda killed in 1977 during the conflict; born and buried in Mucwini village.
• Sunday Omony, plus-size model born in Kitgum District.
• Henry Oryem Okello, politician and lawyer

Sports

• Acholi Queens FC

See also

• Kitgum
• Acholi sub-region
• Acholi people
• Lord's Resistance Army
• Districts of Uganda

External links

• American Pastor Kicked Out of Kitgum District