District Profile

Location
Kasese District: Western Uganda
Latitudes: 0o 12’S and 0o 26’N
Longitudes: 29o 42’E and 30o 18’E
To the North: Bundibungyo District
To North East: Bunyangabo District
To the South East: Kamwenge,District
To the South: Rubirizi District
To the West: Democratic Republic of Congo
Land Area
Total surface area: 3,389.8 Km2
Dry land: 2911.3 square kilometres (86 per cent)
Open water: 409.7 square kilometres
Permanent swamp/wetland: 68.8 square kilometres (2 %of the total Land area)
Nature and wildlife conservation: 1834.6 square kilometres (63 per cent of the land area)
Population density: 183 persons/Km2,(450 persons per square kilometre-land available for farming and settlement )
Population
Total district Population: 702,029
Males: 338,796 (48.3% of the total District Population)
Females: 363,233 (51.7% of the total District Population)
Residence
Rural: 529,976 (75.5%)
Urban: 172,053 (24.5%)
Population Type
Households: 140,697 (99.2% of the total District Population)
Non Household: 5612 (0.8% of the District Population)
Average Household size
No. of Household: 140,697
Average Household Size: 4.9
Population growth rate
1991-2002: 3.6 per anum
2002-2014: 2.45 per anum
District vision

To have a poverty free society by 2025

District mission

To achieve sustainable socio – economic development through efficient provision of quality services to the people in conformity with National and Local priorities.

Overall District LG Development Goal

To improve the quality of services and levels of service delivery by 3% every year.

District LG Developments Strategic Objectives
  • To identify and collect sufficient resources to ensure that service delivery standards are met.
  • To provide quality Education at all levels
  • To provide adequate and accessible health services to the people of the district
  • To  avail quality Community Based Services to all people of the district according to their needs
  • To ensure the provision of adequate and quality infrastructure in the district.
  • To ensure fold security in the district and the effective marketing of agricultural produce and products
  • To improve democracy and accountability in the District Local Government
  • To ensure effective management and sustainable utilization of the natural resources.
  • To strengthen the District Capacity to deliver its mandate.
3.1 Population Characteristics

According to the 2014 National Population and Housing Census the population of Kasese District was 694,987 which was 2.01% of the total national population. Of this population, females were 359,592 (51.7%) while males were 335,400 (48.3%). The population growth rate was estimated at 2.45% per annum; well over that of the country rate 3.4% per annum. The majority of the population i.e. about 47.3% resides in Busongora County while the rest reside in Kasese Municipality and Bukonzo County.

In 1980, the population of the district was 277,697 while in 1991 it was 343,601 persons.

The population of Kasese District was 523,000 people in 2002 having increased from 343,601 people in 1991 reflecting an annual growth rate of 3.6% which is over the national growth rate of 3.4% during the same period.

The distribution of population in Kasese District by Sub County/County and by sex is according to the 2014 National Population and housing census.

Using 2014 as a base year, the population of the under 5 were 130,140, between 6-12 years were 147,516 and below 18 years were 385,664 and. Aggregated in percentages, Kasese District has a youthful population (population below 18years) of 55.5%.

Primary school age population (6- 12years) constituted 23.2% compared to 22%, National status.

A household is defined as a group of persons who eat and live together. The average household size was 5.3

Kasese District had a total of 140,697 Households in 2014.  And these Households are distributed per Sub County as follows

Table 4: Population distribution by administrative unit
Bukonzo County
Population Projects from the District Population and Housing Census 2014
2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024  
Bwera 17,509 17,943 18,388 18,844 19,312 19,791 20,282 20,785 21,300 21,828 22,370  
Ihandiro 13,261 13,590 13,927 14,272 14,626 14,989 15,361 15,742 16,132 16,532 16,943  
Isango 8,229 8,433 8,642 8,857 9,076 9,301 9,532 9,769 10,011 10,259 10,514  
Karambi 25,792 26,432 27,087 27,759 28,448 29,153 29,876 30,617 31,377 32,155 32,952  
Kisinga 40,515 41,520 42,550 43,605 44,687 45,795 46,931 48,095 49,288 50,510 51,763  
Kitholhu 16,871 17,289 17,718 18,158 18,608 19,070 19,543 20,027 20,524 21,033 21,555  
Kyarumba 42,074 43,118 44,187 45,283 46,406 47,557 48,737 49,945 51,184 52,454 53,755  
Kyondo 23,965 24,559 25,169 25,793 26,433 27,088 27,760 28,448 29,154 29,877 30,618  
Mahango 19,875 20,368 20,873 21,391 21,921 22,465 23,022 23,593 24,178 24,778 25,393  
Mpondwe-Lhubiriha T.C 51,351 52,625 53,930 55,267 56,638 58,043 59,483 60,958 62,470 64,019 65,607  
Munkunyu 33,641 34,475 35,330 36,207 37,105 38,025 38,968 39,935 40,925 41,940 42,980  
Nyakatonzi 4,997 5,121 5,248 5,378 5,512 5,648 5,788 5,932 6,079 6,230 6,384  
Nyakiyumbu 30,513 31,270 32,045 32,840 33,655 34,489 35,345 36,221 37,120 38,041 38,984  
TOTAL 328,593 336,743 345,095 353,654 362,426 371,415 380,627 390,068 399,742 409,657 419,817  
Bugoye  35,531 36,412 37,315 38,241 39,189 40,161 41,157 42,178 43,224 44,296 45,395  
Buhuhira  18,290 18,744 19,209 19,685 20,173 20,674 21,186 21,712 22,250 22,802 23,368  
Bwesumbu  21,135 21,659 22,196 22,747 23,311 23,889 24,482 25,089 25,711 26,349 27,003  
Hima Town council  13,135 13,461 13,795 14,137 14,487 14,847 15,215 15,592 15,979 16,375 16,782  
Karusandara  11,957 12,254 12,557 12,869 13,188 13,515 13,850 14,194 14,546 14,907 15,277  
Katwe-Kabatoro town council  6,403 6,562 6,725 6,891 7,062 7,237 7,417 7,601 7,789 7,983 8,181  
Kilembe  13,302 13,632 13,970 14,317 14,672 15,036 15,408 15,791 16,182 16,584 16,995  
Kitswamba  29,707 30,444 31,199 31,973 32,766 33,578 34,411 35,265 36,139 37,036 37,954  
Kyabarungira  16,360 16,766 17,182 17,608 18,044 18,492 18,951 19,421 19,902 20,396 20,902  
Lake Katwe  19,636 20,123 20,622 21,134 21,658 22,195 22,745 23,310 23,888 24,480 25,087  
Maliba  46,652 47,809 48,995 50,210 51,455 52,732 54,040 55,380 56,753 58,161 59,604  
Muhokya  19,222 19,699 20,187 20,688 21,201 21,727 22,266 22,818 23,384 23,964 24,558  
Rukoki  13,999 14,346 14,702 15,067 15,440 15,823 16,216 16,618 17,030 17,453 17,885  
 TOTAL 265,329 271,910 278,654 285,565 292,648 299,906 307,345 314,968 322,780 330,786 338,990  
 Bulembia Division  13,251 13,580 13,916 14,262 14,615 14,978 15,349 15,730 16,120 16,520 16,930  
 Central Division  31,711 32,498 33,304 34,130 34,976 35,844 36,733 37,644 38,577 39,534 40,515  
 Nyamwamba Division  56,103 57,494 58,921 60,382 61,880 63,414 64,987 66,599 68,251 69,944 71,678  
 TOTAL 101,065 103,572 106,141 108,773 111,471 114,236 117,069 119,973 122,948 125,998 129,123  
TOTAL POPULATION PROJECTION 694,987 712,224 729,889 747,993 766,545 785,557 805,041 825,008 845,470 866,440 887,930  

Source: District Planning Unit

The table presents the population projections from the total district population per administrative unit from 2014 to 2024. The all the administrative units of counties of Busongora and Bukonzo together with Kasese Municipality were all covered. However, the newly created town councils and sub counties that were not yet into existed in 2014 were left out. From the table, the three Municipality divisions had the highest proportion of urban population in 2014 of 101,065 people comprising about 14.5% of the total district population. Mpondwe-Lhubiriha town council had the highest population among the urban town councils with a population of about 51,351 people. Maliba Sub county had the highest population among the rural administrative units.

Katwe Kabatoro town council with a population of 6,403 people is the smallest urban unit while Rukoki Sub County with 4,997 people was the smallest rural unit.

Table 5: Population administrative unit by sex
s/n Sub County Population 2009
Male Female Total
1 Bwera 8,289 9,220 17,509
2 Ihandiro 6;448 6,813 13;261
3 Karambi 12,371 13,421 25,792
4 Kisinga 19,559 20,956 40,515
5 Kitholhu 8,161 8,710 16,871
6 Mpondwe-Lhibiriha TC 24,444 26,907 51,351
7 Kyarumba 20,407 21,667 42,074
8 Kyondo 11,698 12,267 23,965
9 Mahango 9,507 10,368 19,875
10 Munkunyu 16,080 17,561 33,641
11 Nyakiyumbu 14,752 15,761 30,513
12 Bugoye 17,191 18,340 35,531
13 Karusandara 6,046 5,911 11,957
14 Kasese Municipality 48,431 52,634 101,065
15 Katwe Kabatoro TC 3,272 3,131 6,403
16 Kilembe 6,512 6,790 13,302
17 Kitswamba 15,027 14,680 29,707
18 Hima TC 6,540 6,595 13,135
19 Kyabarungira 8,019 8,341 16,360
20 Bwesumbu 10,381 10,754 21,135
21 Lake Katwe 9,989 9,647 19,636
22 Maliba 23,167 23,485 46,652
23 Muhokya 9,478 9,744 19,222
24 Rukoki 6,878 7,121 13,999
25 Nyakatonzi 2,588 2,409 4,997
26 Isango 3,960 4,269 8,229
27  Buhuhira 9,020 9,270 18,290
  Total 338,215 356,772 694,987

Source: Kasese District Planning Unit

From the table above, females comprise about 51.7% of the population of the district while males account for 48.3%. In all administrative units except Katwe Kabatoro TC and Karusandara Sub County, the female population is more than the male population. See detailed appendix I for parish population desegregated by gender.

Table 6: Average Household size per Sub County by sex
SUB COUNTY POPULATION
No. of Household Male Female Total Average H.H
Bwera 3,041 8,222 9,233 17,455 5.7
Ihandiro 2,516 6,489 7,060 13,549 5.4
Isango 1,403 3,817 4,282 8,099 5.8
Karambi 4,785 12,981 14,200 27,181 5.7
Kisinga 7,998 19,346 21,285 40,631 5
Kitholhu 2,984 8,285 8,846 17,131 5.7
Kyarumba 7,574 20,352 21,843 42,195 5.6
Kyondo 4,260 11,594 12,411 24,005 5.6
Mahango 3,655 9,275 10,407 19,682 5.4
Munkunyu 6,125 15,102 16,752 31,854 5.2
Nyakiyumbu 5,893 14,746 16,090 30,836 5.7
Nyakatonzi 874 2,595 2,425 5,020 5.2
Mpondwe Lhubiriha TC 9,903 24,326 26,692 51,018 5.1
TOTAL 61,011 157,130 171,526 328,656 5.4
Busongora County POPULATION
No. of Household Male Female Total Average H.H
Bugoye 6,713 16,924 18,443 35,367 5.3
Buhuhira 3,331 8,972 9,517 18,489 5.5
Bwesumbu 3,773 10,197 11,017 21,214 5.6
Hima TC 3,415 6,356 6,589 12,945 3.7
Karusandara 2,749 5,975 5,915 11,890 4.3
Katwe Kabatoro TC 1,742 3,297 3,114 6,411 3.6
Kilembe 2,508 6,489 6,841 13,330 5.3
Kitswamba 6,078 15,132 14,877 30,009 4.9
Kyabarungira 2,972 8,155 8,579 16,734 5.6
L.Katwe 5,237 11,881 11,678 23,559 4.5
Maliba 8,757 23,320 24,265 47,585 5.3
Muhokya 4,184 9,607 9,924 19,531 4.7
Rukoki 2,596 7,045 7,585 14,630 5.6
Bulembia Division 2,770 6,534 6,701 13,235 4.7
Central Division 7,434 14,917 16,718 31,635 4.1
Nyamwamba Division 15,427 26,865 29,944 56,809 3.6
TOTAL 79,686 181,666 191,707 373,373 4.9
GRAND TOTAL 140,697 338,796 363,233 702,029 5

Source: 2014 National Population and Housing Census Kasese District Report 2014

Age and sex are the most basic characteristic of population. Sex and Age composition of a population has significant implications for the reproductive potential, human resource, school attendance, family formation, health care and other service delivery in general.

3.1.1 Age Distribution of the Population

Kasese District has a youthful population (population below 19years) of compared to the National status of 56%. Primary school age population (6- 12years) constituted 23% compared to 22%, National status. Elderly (60+) comprised 3.2% of the population compared to National status of 4.6%. This is most likely due to the reason that the elderly people tend to retire in villages, running away from high cost of living in town.

Total population by age group and sex; Kasese District, 2014
Age Group Male Female Total
0-9 125,354 118,016 243,370
10-19 86,385 88,844 175,229
20-39 82,356 99,778 182,134
40-59 32,254 36,394 68,648
60+ 11,866 13,740 25,606
District 338,215 356,772 694,987

Source: 2014 Population and Housing census Kasese District Report 2014

The sex and age composition of a population has a significant implication on planning. The sex ratio (number of males for every 100 females) of Kasese District is 1 male for 1.1 females in 2009 implying that the majority are females.

Kasese District has high age dependency ratio. The Age dependency ratio is the ratio of the persons in the dependent ages (population below 15years and those above 65years) to the economically active population (population aged 15 to 64years).

The table shows a dependency ratio of 0.95 implying that on average, there is one dependent persons per 0.95 economically active persons. This is well below that of the national level of 110, reflecting very high unemployment levels in the district.