Kalangala, also known as Ssesse is a district in Central Uganda. The district is coterminous with the Ssese Islands in Lake Victoria and does not have territory on mainland Uganda. Like other Ugandan districts, it is named after its 'chief town', Kalangala which is located on Bugala Island, the largest of the Ssese Islands.
Kalangala District covers an area of, of which only is land and the rest is open water. The district is made up of eighty four widely scattered islands in the northwestern part of Lake Victoria of which only forty three are inhabited. The biggest island is Bugala Island which covers or 63.2% of the district land mass.
Population
The 1991 national population census estimated the district population at about 16,400. Eleven years later, the 2002 national census estimated the population of the district at approximately 34,800, with an annual population growth rate of 6.8%. In 2012, it was estimated that the population of Kalangala District was about 66,300. The table below illustrates the growth trajectory of the district population during the first decade of the 21st century. All numbers are estimates.
Economic activities
The three pillars of the district economy are: fishingtourism and agriculture. The majority of the islanders depend a lot on fishing. The fishermen migrate following the seasonal movements of fish. Over fishing remains a concern. Due to its location, its climate and its relative isolation, the district is a tourist magnet. Tourist facilities are rudimentary in most areas, although improvements in infrastructure are slowly improving. Bidco Uganda, a private palm oil processor based in Jinja, maintains a controversial palm oil plantation in the district. In addition, out grower farmers grow palm oil on contract with Bidco and sell their produce to the processor. Livestock farming and logging are other economic activities practiced in the district., it was estimated that the livestock count in the district stood as follows:
According to Friends of the Earth International, Oil Palm Uganda Limited is involved in a long running dispute over land with local communities in Uganda. OPUL is 93 percent owned by Bidco Uganda, which itself is a joint venture formed by Wilmar International, Josovina Commodities, and Bidco Africa. According to The Guardian in March 2015, the land grabbing issue has plagued the community of Kalangala for a number of years. In July 2011 residents awoke to "find yellow machines churning up... land and razing the crops... grown in a bid to make way for palm oil plantations." According to FEI, the project implications include forced displacement, poor labour standards, deforestation, and insecurity, amongst others. The community has taken the venture to court. David Balironda, the Kalangala district production officer, said he saw people being compensated. When asked why he had not objected to the inadequate compensation paid, he said: “It was their agreement with the landlord. These people were squatters on someone’s land. They agreed on the amount of money.... I blame the NGOs; it is them amplifying people to rise up and demand for land even when they were compensated.”
