Kumi (city)
| map | |
|---|---|
Location of Kumi within Uganda |
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| Basic data | |
| District | Kumi |
| Geographical location | 1 ° 29 ′ N , 33 ° 56 ′ E |
| surface | ? |
| population | 13,000 (2011 estimate) |
| Population density | ? Inhabitants / km² |
| medium height | 980 m |
| Precipitation | 1200 mm / a |
| Time zone | UTC +3
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| Telephone code | (+256) 045 |
Kumi is a city in eastern Uganda with an estimated 13,000 inhabitants. It is the capital of the district of the same name and its administrative and economic center. It is equivalent to a sub-county within the district.
geography
The city of Kumi is located in eastern Uganda in the Teso sub-region. It is located 10 kilometers south of Lake Bisina and around 80 kilometers northwest of Mount Elgon . The capital Kampala is about 120 kilometers southwest, Soroti 50 kilometers northwest and Mbale 50 kilometers southeast.
Neighboring counties form the sub-county Kumi in the north, west and south and the sub-county Atutur in the southeast.
climate
Kumi has a savannah climate . The annual mean of the precipitation is 1000-1300 mm and falls mainly during the rainy season from April to June. The monthly mean temperatures are between 20 and 28 degrees Celsius.
history
The history of the town of Kumi begins in 1904 with the establishment of a British administrative post for the southern part of the area inhabited by the Iteso on the route from Mbale to Soroti. With the opening of the Tororo – Arua Mine railway in 1929, Kumi also rose to become the economic center of the region. Until 1975, Kumi was part of the Teso District. When this was divided into the districts of Kumi and Soroti , Kumi became the capital of the district and was given city status.
population
At the last census in 2002, Kumi had 8,807 residents. The estimated population in 2010 was already 12,500 people. In 2011 there were already 13,000 people.
Most of the inhabitants belong to the Iteso ethnic group . Their language, the Ateso, is the colloquial language in the city.
Cityscape
As a small town in rural areas, Kumi is relatively loosely built with mostly one-story houses. The center of the city is formed by the intersection of the Mbale-Soroti highway with the road to Ngora and the market in the northwestern part of the city.
Important places
- Kumi Hospital - The State Health Center III, at the intersection of Ngora Road and Mbale-Soroti Road.
- Kumi Market - Central food market, located in the northwest of the city.
- Taxi / Bus Station - Stop for (collective) taxis and long-distance buses at the intersection of Ngora Road and Mbale-Soroti Road.
- District administration for the Kumi district
- Kumi city administration
- Kumi Prison - District prison in the southeast of the city.
- Kumi Hotel - The largest hotel in the city in the southeast.
economy
While the area around Kumi is almost exclusively agricultural, the city is dominated by trade and service industries. In addition to the market, which mainly sells food from the district, there are restaurants, supermarkets and banks, etc., especially along Mbale-Soroti Road and Ngora Road. a. Branches of Stanbic Bank , Centenary Bank and Fincance Trust Bank . Kumi is currently the only place in the district where bank branches are available.
In contrast, tourism only plays a minor role in Kumi. However, the city serves tourists as a starting point for excursions to the rock paintings near Nyero and Lake Bisima. The only larger hotel with international guests is the Kumi Hotel. There are plenty of budget hostels in the city.
traffic
The city of Kumi is a regional traffic junction. In the center of the city, the unpaved overland road to Ngora and Serere meets the fully asphalted Mbale-Soroti highway, which is the most important traffic route in Eastern Uganda. On it run long-distance buses to Soroti, Mbale, Lira and Kampala . There are also (collective) taxes in the direction of Soroti, Mbale Ngora and Serere.
Inner-city traffic is mainly done by Boda-Boda bicycles and motorbike taxis.
The Tororo-Gulu railway , built in 1928 and reopened in 2013, crosses Kumi parallel to Mbale-Soroti Road from southeast to northwest. It was once an important factor in Kumi's development into a city. However, the irregular freight traffic on the route no longer serves the Kumi-Stadt stop.
Health and education
There is a State Health Center III in the city, which is located at the central intersection in the city center. The largest hospital in the district with around 200 beds is the Kumi Hospital, which is located about 7 kilometers northeast in the village of Ongino. In addition, the Kumi Orthopedic Center with 40 beds is located in the south of the city. It is the only orthopedic clinic in eastern Uganda.
The place has a number of elementary schools ( Primary School ) and secondary schools ( Secondary School ). Kumi University, a private university founded in 2004 with around 1,000 students, has its main campus in the village of Nyero, eight kilometers west of the city.
