Kisoro is a district in southwestern Uganda. Like most other Ugandan districts, it is named after its 'chief town', Kisoro, where the district headquarters are

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Location of Kisoro

Kisoro is bordered by Kanungu District to the north, Kabale District to the east, the Republic of Rwanda to the south and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west. The district headquarters at Kisoro are located approximately 42 kilometres (26 mi), by road, northwest of Kabale, the largest city in the sub-region. The coordinates of the district are:01 17S, 29 41E.

Overview of Kisoro

Kisoro is tucked away in the southwest corner of Uganda, where it borders with Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It covers an area of approximately 729.7 square kilometres (281.7 sq mi). About 3.88% of the district is covered by open water. Another 2.95% is open water and national forest reserves cover another 0.96%.

The District is mountainous and hilly and rises an average of 1,980 metres (6,500 ft) above sea level. Due to the delicate nature of the environment and the pressure of a rapidly increasing population, the natural environment in Kisoro District is under severe threat of degradation.

The district was formed in 1992. Prior to that it was known as Bufumbira County and was part of Kabale District. Kisoro District has four (4) parliamentary constituencies:

•Bufumbira South

•Bufumbira North

•Bufumbira East

•Bufumbira Women

Population in Kisoro

The district population was estimated at 219,427 during the 2002 national census. The annual population growth rate in the district is estimated at 2.8%. With those statistics, it is estimated that the population of Kisoro District in 2009 is approximately 266,222.

Kisoro area is inhabited by primarily by the Bafumbira, comprising of Hutu, Tutsi and Batwa tribes. Kifumbira, a dialect similar to Kinyarwanda, is spoken in the district. A section of Kisoro District is inhabited by the Bakiga whose dialect is in between Rukiga and Kifumbira.

Ethnicity is not a big issue for the Bafumbira as they freely intermarry, particularly among the Tutsi and Hutu. That relationship between the two ethnicities in Kisoro District partly explains why the 1994 Rwandan genocide did not spread to Kisoro. There is a general acceptance of these conditions and this has led to harmony in the district.

Economic activities in Kisoro

Like in most of Uganda's districts, agriculture forms the backbone of the economy of Kisoro. Most of the agriculture is on a subsistence level. Crops grown include:

•Maize

•Sorghum

•Irish potatoes

•Sweet potatoes

•Beans

•Onions

•Tomatoes

•Cabbage

Livestock is kept by some on a subsistence level. Hovever, a few wealthy individuals in the district have large cattle farms including:

•Bishop Halem'Imana

•Tress Bucyanayandi

•Nkuranga

•The Semafara Family.

Tourist attractions in Kisoro

Tourist attractions in the district include:

•Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park - One of only four national parks in the world where the African Mountain Gorilla can be observed in the wild.

•Mgahinga Gorilla National Park - Besides the Mountain Gorillas, the Park also covers three (3) of the eight (8) Virunga Volcanoes: Muhabura, Gahinga and Sabyinyo, all of which lie on the Uganda/Rwanda border.

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