Kamonkoli

Kamonkoli is a town in Budaka District, in the Eastern Region of Uganda.

Kamonkoli
Kamonkoli Map of Uganda showing location of Kamonkoli
Coordinates: 01°04′30″N 34°05′44″E
Country	Uganda
Region	Eastern Region
District	Budaka District
Elevation	1,119 m (3,671 ft)
Population  (2024 Estimate)
• Total	30,000
Time zone	UTC+3 (EAT)

Location

The town is located in the Iki-iki county and is the largest city in eastern Uganda. It lies 107 kilometres (66 mi) along the Iganga–Tirinyi–Kamonkoli–Mbale Road, approximately 12 kilometres (7 mi), southwest of Mbale, 17km in the South of Kabwangasi Town and 11km in the East of Iki-iki town along Kamonkoli-Pallisa road.

The coordinates of Kamonkoli are 1°04'30.0"N, 34°05'44.0"E (Latitude:1.075005; Longitude:34.095568). Kamonkoli sits at an average elevation of 1,119 metres (3,671 ft), above sea level.

North Ward:- Bubulanga, Kamonkoli'A', Kamonkoli'B' and Bulalaka.

South Ward:- Namusango,Kamonkoli central, Nyanza'A' and Nyanza'B'.

Population

Nyanza'A' cell has the most population of about 4500 people (by 2024 estimate) in the town. About 60% of the residents in Kamonkoli live a better life thus in every 10 people, 6 can make atleast 1$ in a day while 4 people can't make 1$ every day.

The town also is the fastest growing among other towns in the district with industries like Uganda clays ltd a branch of Kajansi factory Uganda's largest manufacturer of clay products. Kamonkoli has metro cement ltd located in Nyanza'A'.

Kamonkoli is the end of the southeastern leg of the Tirinyi–Pallisa–Kamonkoli–Kumi Road, which links this town to Pallisa. The streets are not yet named though some have been tarmaced.

The town is mostly inhabited by the Bagwere though some tribes like Bagisu, Basoga,Iteso,and a few Baganda also live there, and the famous clans of bagwere that live there are the Balaraka,Babulanga,Bakomolo, Bakatikoko, Balyampiti and Bakaduuka.

Additional Information

The area receives two rainfall seasons in a year with average temperature of 28°c and 900-1100mm/RF per year.

Major cash crops are rice and cotton (cotton was abandoned due to price fluctuations) Other crops include cassava, groundnuts, millet, beans, maize,etc Rice is mostly grown in Nyanza'B' and other areas near Namatala swamp.

Mining is mostly done for marrum and clay. Livestock like goats and cows are rared. Small scale fishing is done mostly in the swamps and some fish ponds. Food processing industries are also found in the town mostly for rice.

Tourist spots are swamps and factories. They're no UNESCO world heritage sites in Kamonkoli. It's also the location of the biggest hotel Marple cottages in the district and the biggest mosque in Bugwere,where as the Seventhday Adventists Eastern Uganda Field Headquarters are located there.

Also a home to Baraki Kirya who was a famous politician in the times of Obote and Iddi Amini Dada.

In the late 2000s, the people of the town especially Those living along Namatala had land conflicts with the Bagisu people of Mbale which led to loss of many lives.

Health wise the town has a grade III government hospital located in Nyanza'A'.

In Education the town has various performing schools ranging from nursery UpTo university level for example Genesis P/s, Kamonkoli college,Livingston international university. Other performing schools are Kamonkoli mixed p/s, Nyanza II p/s, Kamonkoli Nursery and p/s and HIS primary school.