Kigezi sub-region
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Kigezi sub-region | |
|---|---|
Sub-region of Uganda | |
 Interactive map of Kigezi sub-region | |
| Coordinates: 1°13′20″S 29°53′20″E / 1.2222°S 29.8889°E | |
| Country | Uganda |
| Region | Western Region |
| Districts | Kabale, Kanungu, Kisoro, Rubanda, Rukiga, Rukungiri |
| Largest city | Kabale |
| Population (2024 census[1]) | |
• Total | 1,787,231 |
| 2014 census: 1,376,774[2] | |
| Time zone | UTC+3 (EAT) |
Kigezi sub-region is a sub-region in the Western Region of Uganda.[3] UBOS publishes district and lower-level profiles for Kigezi as one of Uganda’s sub-regions.[4] The sub-region aligns with the historic Kigezi District area, later divided into multiple districts.
Kigezi sub-region consists of the following districts:
- Kabale District
- Kanungu District
- Kisoro District
- Rubanda District
- Rukiga District
- Rukungiri District
The six districts correspond to older county units widely referenced in Kigezi history: Bufumbira (Kisoro), Kinkizi (Kanungu), Ndorwa (Kabale), Rubanda, Rukiga, and Rujumbura (Rukungiri).[5]
The sub-region was home to approximately 1.2 million inhabitants, according to the 2002 national census.[6][7] The majority of the inhabitants of the sub-region belong to three major ethnic groups: (a) the Bakiga, the Bahororo and Banyarwanda. Other ethnicities include(d) the Batwa, the Bafumbira and others. The inhabitants of the sub-region also collectively refer to themselves as Abanyakigezi (singular Omunyakigezi).[8]
The present-day sub-region covers much of the former Kigezi District, a historic administrative unit in south-western Uganda.[9]
Parliament created new districts from Kabale District as part of Uganda’s district-splitting process: Rubanda (effective 1 July 2016) and Rukiga (effective 1 July 2017).[10]
Geography and environment
Kigezi lies in Uganda’s south-west, near the borders with Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.[9] The landscape includes highlands, terraced hillsides, and rift-related features linked to the Albertine Rift system.[9]
Key natural features and protected areas linked to the sub-region include: Bwindi Impenetrable National Park (gorilla habitat, UNESCO World Heritage Site).[11][12] Mgahinga Gorilla National Park (Kisoro District, 33.7 km2).[13][14] Lake Bunyonyi (Kabale and Rubanda districts, 61 km2).[15]
Demographics
Economy
Agriculture supports many households, with Irish potato production prominent in parts of Kigezi, especially around Kabale and Kisoro.[16][17]
Tea production also occurs in parts of the sub-region, with processing linked to the Kayonza area in Kanungu District.[18][19]
Tourism is tied to gorilla trekking and protected-area visitation in Bwindi and Mgahinga.[11][13]
Education
Kabale City hosts Kabale University, a public university with roots in community-led founding and later transition to public status.[20]
Transport
Road corridors link Kabale to Lake Bunyonyi tourism areas and onward toward Kisoro and Mgahinga, supporting cross-district mobility and tourism access.[21]
