Paidha


Paidha is a town in the Northern Region of Uganda.

History

On 13 February 1965, Paidha and Goli were bombed by the Congolese Air Force in retaliation for the support of the Ugandan government for Simba rebels. The attack caused minimal damage.

Location

Paidha is in Zombo District, West Nile sub-region. The town is near the border with the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is approximately, by road, south of Arua, the largest city in the sub-region. This is approximately, by road, northwest of Kampala, Uganda's capital and largest city. Zombo, the town where the district headquarters are located, is approximately, by road, northwest of Paidha. The coordinates of Paidha are 2°25'00.0"N, 30°59'15.0"E.

Overview

Paidha is a busy border town in northwest Uganda at its border with the DRC. In 2013, it was the second-busiest border crossing between Uganda and the DRC, based on the volume of informal exports and imports. See table below:
RankBorder TownShare of ExportsShare of Imports
1Mpondwe71.0%50.8%
2Paidha6.6%22.6%
3Odramachaku7.3%7.9%
4Vurra3.8%9.0%
5Bunagana3.6%5.6%
6Ntoroko5.5%1.7%
7Others2.2%2.4%

Population

The 2002 national census estimated the population of Paidha at 24,079 and in 2010 the Uganda Bureau of Statistics, estimated the population of the town at 29,700. In 2011, UBOS estimated the mid-year population of Paidha at 30,500.
In 2014, the population census put the population of the town at 33,426.

Points of interest

The following additional points of interest lie within the town limits or close to the edges of town: The offices of Paidha Town Council The international border between Uganda and the DRC is at Goli, about southeast of Paidha. Paidha Primary Teachers College, a public teacher training college administered by the Ministry of Education and Sports. Nyagak Power Station, a 3.5 megawatt hydropower station operated by WENRECO, a subsidiary of Industrial Promotion Services Nyagak III Power Station, a 4.36 megawatt hydropower station under development by the Uganda Electricity Generation Company Limited. Paidha Health Centre III.

Works cited

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