ELGON INVESTMENT PROFILE 2018 BULAMBULI KWEEN KAPCHORWA BUKWO SIRONKO BUDUDA MBALE KENYA MANAFWA Elgon Investment Profile A Sipi Falls in Kapchorwa B Elgon Investment Profile Background Information This is an Economic region The two sub regions have deriving its name from the dominant cooperative unions Mt. Elgon on whose slopes through which most of their the region is situated and is economic activities are comprised of the Bugisu districts centered, that is, the Bugisu of Mbale, Sironko, Manafwa, Cooperative Union and the Bududa and Bulambuli and the Sebei Cooperative Union. Sebei districts of Kapchorwa, The region is well known for Kween and Bukwo. The region its Arabica Coffee which is is located in Eastern Uganda mainly grown, processed and with Mbale the principal town marketed through these two located about 245 km from cooperative unions. Kampala. The region borders Kenya which can be accessed The region has a unique climate through Suam border post in pattern which favors special Bukwo district and Lwakhaka crops such as wheat, barley and border post in Manafwa. It other cereals like maize, and neighbors the Karamoja, Teso sorghum used in commercial and Bukedi regions internally. beer production. This plus the high tourism potential Three groups populate the derived from the Mountain Mount Elgon region, all highly and its associated ecosystems dependent on the forest make the Elgon region a high ecosystem: the Bagisu, the economic potential region. Sabiny, and a small group of The main town Mbale has historically forest-dwelling a gazetted industrial and and forest dependent upland business park whose activities Sabiny known as the Benet. will be commencing soon thus The region derives most of its positioning the region as an livelihood from the mountain industrial powerhouse. and is surrounded by the Mount Elgon National Park. Elgon Investment Profile 1 Main Economic activities Agriculture The coffee-banana system is predominant in Elgon region. There is barley, maize, wheat and Irish potatoes especially in the Sebei districts. Livestock activities such as cattle rearing, poultry keeping, apiary, and pig rearing are also common in the Sebei areas of Kapchorwa, Kween and Bukwo. On the slopes of the Benet Resettlement Area in Kapchorwa, one finds a patchwork of horticultural crops such as assorted greens, pumpkin, peppers, other assorted vegetables and a few stands of eucalyptus. The Bugisu areas are mainly focusing on Coffee, banana, Irish potatoes, peas, beans, fruits and other horticultural crops as the main crops. In the lowlands groundnuts, maize, sorghum, millet, cotton, soya beans, sweet potatoes, sunflower, and rice are common. There is a good road network between the districts and with the borders to Kenya with two main border posts at Suam in Bukwo and Lwakhaka which has dramatically increased access to markets and contributed to increased cash-crop production. 2 Elgon Investment Profile Tourism The region is located around the Mt. Elgon which is a gazetted National Park whose beautiful scenery is the primary attraction. The Park also has a diversity of animal species among which are buffaloes, tinny antelopes, forest monkeys and elephants plus a number of fauna species found in the park. This mountain is a significant watershed for a number of rivers such as River Sipi that forms the renowned spectacular Sipi falls. The park as well is habitat to more than 299 bird species with a couple of them not being seen in any other part of the country. Some other tourist attractions within this park are the very old cave paintings near the trailhead found at Budadiri, stunning caves plus the hot springs inside the crater, in addition to the renowned Imbalu dances plus ceremonies conducted by the native people during their initiation ceremonies. Elgon Investment Profile 3 Limestone mining in Kapchorwa Mining With reports of vermiculite in Mbale, Limestone in Kapchorwa and Gold in Bukwo and Phosphates in Manafwa, the region has a good investment potential in the mining sector. Already factories like Tororo cement are deriving their raw materials from the region. There are geological reports of the presence of rare earth minerals such as Calcite, Magnetite, Flourapophyllite, Natrolite and Philipsite located within the Sipi caves and Manafwa districts. Manufacturing With the two Coffee unions in the area, the potential to add value on coffee in the region is enormous. Mbale also presents various manufacturing opportunities with a large industrial base to serve the region and the neighboring districts and countries. Also couple with a thriving agricultural industry, the potential to manufacture agro related products for both domestic consumption and export to Kenya and Southern Sudan is enormous. 4 Elgon Investment Profile Lwakhaka border post Trade related activities The presence of the Suam and Lwakhaka border posts gives the region a strategic location to trade in agriculture commodities with Kenya. This also makes the region a well situated place for internal trade with the neighboring districts of Karamoja, Bukedi, Teso, and Lango. General Investment opportunities • Commercial agriculture • Agro-processing is already the presence of organized being done with value Unions gives the region a addition on the famous potential for commercial Arabica coffee through coffee farming. Also the good the Bugisu and Sebei mountain climate makes Cooperative Unions. the region a good location However, the good harvests to commercially grow crops from the barley, maize, like barley, wheat, Sorghum wheat and sorghum crops and a variety of horticultural also present opportunities to crops. process these crops within Elgon Investment Profile 5 the region so as to create capacities of the locals who jobs for the locals. are the intended beneficiaries of the investments. Skilling • Agri-business with specific of people with the thought emphasis in cross border after capabilities so that produce trade to the when investments are set neighboring Kenya. This is up jobs are not taken by already on going but albeit people from outside regions. at an informal stage. This can also be intertwined with • Manufacturing like setting the tourism industry to focus up a Cement factory in the on agri tourism or better still Kapchorwa area where eco-tourism. there are large deposits of limestone. There are • Services such as Education opportunities in manufacture with emphasis on vocational of agricultural raw materials training, Health care so as such as animal feeds, seeds, to improve the lives and fertilizers and the like. Silos for agricultural produce storage 6 Elgon Investment Profile Specific District Profiles Location Bukwo District one of the three Sebei districts in the Elgon region is bordered by Amudat District to the north, Kenya to the east and south, and Kween District to the west and northwest. The town of Bukwo is approximately 83 kilometres by road, northeast of Mbale, the principal town of Elgon region. Population Sub county Males Females Total Bukwo 4,276 4,205 8,481 Bukwo Town Council 3,825 3,861 7,686 Chepkwasta 4,259 4,302 8,561 Chesower 3,348 3,279 6,627 Kabei 3,147 3,216 6,363 Kamet 2,675 2,584 5,259 Kaptererwo 4,447 4,362 8,809 Kortek 2,891 2,945 5,836 Riwo 3,563 3,332 6,895 Senendet 4,345 4,459 8,804 Suam 5,420 5,274 10,694 Tulel 2,574 2,664 5,238 Total 44,770 44,483 89,253 Source: UBOS, 2014 National Population and Housing Census. Elgon Investment Profile 7 Investment Opportunities • Agriculture given its good location on the fertile slopes of Mt. Elgon, the district produces 60,000 metric tonnes of maize, 25,000 metric tonnes of beans and 6,400 tonnes of wheat and barley every year. This makes it a food basket for Uganda and neighboring Kenya. It is a source for raw materials especially to the breweries and the flour industries. • Bukwo also boasts of a rich tourism capacity. The beautiful hills, forests and natural features provide great view and part of the district is gazetted as a part of the Mt. Elgon National Park. • The district is also rich in minerals, with a rock capable of supplying limestone to the rest of Uganda spanning from Kabei, Riwo, Kortek, Chepkwasta, Tulel, Kamet and Chesower sub-counties. The place can provide raw materials for cement factories and there are traces of gold in Kamet and Chebinyiny. • With the establishment of the One Border Post at Suam, trade relations with Kenya are bound to improve. This will offer numerous trade services opportunities to Bukwo district and improve the marketing of the agricultural produce across the border. Maize processing 8 Elgon Investment Profile Location Kapchorwa is located in the Sebei sub- region, approximately 65 kilometres by road, northeast of Mbale, the largest city in the Elgon Region. This is approximately 310 kilometres, by road, northeast of Kampala, Uganda’s capital and largest city. It borders the district of Sironko in the south-west, Nakapiripirit in the north, Moroto in the north and the Bukwo in the East. Population Sub County Male Female Total Amukol 1,834 1,958 3,792 Chema 4,255 4,475 8,730 Chepteret 2,015 2,009 4,024 Gamogo 1,650 1,658 3,308 Kabeywa 2,668 2,661 5,329 Kapchesombe 3,881 3,724 7,605 Town council 5,958 6,387 12,345 Kapsinda 3,394 3,439 6,833 Kaptanya 5,204 5,574 10,778 Kapteret 5,131 5,553 10,684 Kaserem 2,233 2,465 4,698 Kawowo 3,408 3,573 6,981 Munarya 2,641 2,810 5,451 Sipi 2,523 2,515 5,038 Tegeres 4,374 4,610 8,984 Total 51,169 53,411 104,580 Source: UBOS, 2014 National Population and Housing Census Elgon Investment Profile 9 Investment Opportunities • Agriculture with main emphasis on food crops such as millet, potatoes, beans, Simsim and sunflower.