Kibaale District

Kibaale, sometimes Kibale, is a district in western Uganda. Like other Ugandan districts, it is named after its 'chief town'. Kibaale District borders Hoima District in the north, Kiboga and Mubende in the east, Kabarole and Kyenjojo in the south and Bundibugyo and Lake Albert in the west. Kibaale District stretches out on the Central Plateau on an altitude of 680 to 1500 meters above the sea. The climate is tropical with relatively reliable rainfall that ranges between 1000 mm to 1500 mm over two productive agricultural seasons. The wet seasons between September to December and March to May are intercepted by two dry periods.

History

Kibaale District is part of the ancient Bunyoro Kingdom, and part of an area known as the “Lost Counties”. With The 1900 Uganda Agreement defined the boundaries of Buganda Kingdom, including the important areas of Bunyoro south and east of the Kafu River. The area soon became known as the “Lost Counties”. The counties were included as a sub-national territorial element of Buganda Kingdom. The administration of the “Lost Counties” as well as Bunyoro itself was modelled on the Buganda political system and under the leadership of Baganda chiefs. In addition to land the Baganda held political and administrative positions from village chief and upwards. The Baganda also controlled schools and churches in the “Lost Counties”, and Luganda was the only native language allowed in public institutions. Buganda was at the center of the colony while Bunyoro remained as a subsidiary territory. After a referendum in 1964 the counties of Buyaga and Bugangaizi, present Kibaale District, were returned from Buganda to Bunyoro Kingdom, and subsequently political and administrative control shifted from Baganda to Banyoro hands. President Obote abolished the kingdoms in 1967, but the counties remained part of Bunyoro District. In 1974 Bunyoro was divided into North Bunyoro and South Bunyoro, which were renamed Hoima and Masindi Districts in 1980. In 1991 Buyaga and Bugangaizi separated from Hoima District and became Kibaale District.

Current situation

Currently Kibaale consists of three counties, each of which has a commercial centre. Kibaale is the largest settlement of Buyaga County. The major town in the district is Kagadi Town Council, although Kibaale is the location of the district headquarters. A main trunk road was built in 1997, as a result of co-operation between the governments of Uganda and Ireland. The road connects the towns of Mubende, Kakumiro, Kibaale and Kagadi.

In 2002 the district had a population of 412,427 inhabitants. Kibaale is a socially heterogeneous district with more than 32 registered ethnic groups, but only half of the population is Banyoro and the remainder are of Ugandan immigrant origin. About 60% of the population are Catholics, 30 % belong to the Church of Uganda, and 3% are registered as Muslims. The district is like most of Western Uganda a predominantly rural area, with an average population density of around 100 persons per km². Only about 1% of the inhabitants live in urban settlements.