Kitgum District

Kitgum District
District
District location in Uganda
Coordinates:03°13′N32°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

Kitgum Districtis adistrictinNorthern Uganda.It is named after its major town ofKitgum,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 tointernally displaced personscamps for their protection, where they were subject to raids by the rebels and also harsh conditions, including disease.

Location

Kitgum District is bordered bySouth Sudanto the north,Kaabong Districtto the east,Kotido Districtto the southeast,Agago Districtto the south,Pader Districtto the southwest andLamwo Districtto the northwest.Kitgum,the largest town in the district, lies 108 kilometres (67 mi) northeast ofGulu,the largest city in thesub-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 ofAcholiland,home to an estimated 1.1 millionAcholi,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 is practiced in some areas, although not widely.

== 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 inKitgum District.

Hepatitis epidemic

During late 2007 and early 2008, as many of the residents of theInternally Displaced Persons(IDP) camps started to return to their home areas following peace talks, an outbreak ofHepatitis Eengulfed 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 modelborn 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