Mount Elgon District
Encyclopedia
Mount Elgon District is an administrative district
in the Western Province
of Kenya
. Its capital town is Kapsokwony
.
. The district has a population of 135,033 (1999 census) and an area of 944 km² http://www.statoids.com/yke.html.
Although Kapsokwony is the headquarters of the district, Cheptais is probably the economic heart of the district, as it contributes a great deal to the economy of the district.
Mt. Elgon is predominantly occupied by the Sabaots, Iteso
and Bukusu
communities.
A violent conflict began in December 2006 in the district between the Soy and Mosop subethnicities of the Sabaot ethnic group over allegations of unfair land allocation. A Sabaot Land Defense Force was formed, which led to a number of killings in the region. As of late 2007, some 150 people had died in the conflict, while over 45,000 people have been displaced from their homes in the Mount Elgon region to other towns such as Kitale, Chepkitale and Kimilili. (see Mount Elgon insurgency
)
Districts of Kenya
The provinces of Kenya are subdivided into number of districts .- List of districts of Kenya :Following a High Court ruling in September 2009, there are 46 legal districts in Kenya :Coast Province:...
in the Western Province
Western Province (Kenya)
The Western Province of Kenya, bordering Uganda, is one of Kenya's seven administrative provinces outside Nairobi. It is west of the Eastern Rift Valley and is inhabited mainly by the Luhya people. Quakerism is widely practised here. Kenya's second highest mountain, Mount Elgon is located in...
of Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
. Its capital town is Kapsokwony
Kapsokwony
Kapsokwony is a small town in Mount Elgon District of Western Province , Kenya. The town is part of Mount Elgon County Council and Mount Elgon Constituency....
.
Geography and demographics
The district is located on southeastern slopes of Mount ElgonMount Elgon
Mount Elgon is an extinct shield volcano on the border of Uganda and Kenya, north of Kisumu and west of Kitale.- Physical features :It is the oldest and largest solitary volcano in East Africa, covering an area of around 3500 km²....
. The district has a population of 135,033 (1999 census) and an area of 944 km² http://www.statoids.com/yke.html.
Although Kapsokwony is the headquarters of the district, Cheptais is probably the economic heart of the district, as it contributes a great deal to the economy of the district.
Mt. Elgon is predominantly occupied by the Sabaots, Iteso
Iteso
The Teso are an ethnic group in eastern Uganda and western Kenya. Teso refers to the traditional homeland of the Iteso, and Ateso is their language.-Uganda:...
and Bukusu
Bukusu
Bukusu can refer to:*Bukusu people, an indigenous tribe of Kenya*Bukusu language, a Bantu language spoken by the Bukusu people...
communities.
Government
The district has only one local authority: Mount Elgon county council.| Administrative divisions | |||
| Division | Population* | Urban pop.* | Headquarters |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cheptais | 40,069 | 3,426 | Cheptais |
| Kapsokwony | 24,526 | 1,586 | Kapsokwony |
| Kaptama | 23,885 | 0 | |
| Kopsiro | 45,964 | 0 | |
| Total | 135,033 | 5,012 | - |
Land dispute
In the 1970s, some 600 Mosop families who lived in the forests around Mount Elgon were resettled in Chebyuk to make way for a game reserve. They were soon joined by the Soy people; in the land allocations which followed the resettlement, the Mosop were given some 65 percent of the land, while the Soy were given the remaining 35 percent. Over the decades, other ethnicities moved into the Chebyuk settlement, which complicated the land situation.A violent conflict began in December 2006 in the district between the Soy and Mosop subethnicities of the Sabaot ethnic group over allegations of unfair land allocation. A Sabaot Land Defense Force was formed, which led to a number of killings in the region. As of late 2007, some 150 people had died in the conflict, while over 45,000 people have been displaced from their homes in the Mount Elgon region to other towns such as Kitale, Chepkitale and Kimilili. (see Mount Elgon insurgency
Mount Elgon insurgency
The Mount Elgon insurgency was a conflict that started in 2005 when the Sabaot Land Defence Force militia revolted in the Mount Elgon area, Western Kenya.-The insurgency:...
)