Visit Kyangwali Refugee Settlement

The Map of Kyangwali Refugee Settlement (Source:UNHCR)

Fact File

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District:                         Kikuube (Formerly Hoima)

Subcounty:                    Kyangwali

Date of establishment:   01 Jan 1960

Source: https://data2.unhcr.org

Political Administrative Divisions:

Ugandan Government

• OPM (In Coordination with UNHCR)

Chairmen

• RWClll

• RWCII

• RWCI

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Refugee Nationalities:

1. South Sudanese

2. Congolese ( Dem.Rep. Of Congo)

3. Rwandans

4. Burundians

5. Kenyans

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Kyangwali Refugee Settlement is a very diverse refugee haven located in western Uganda. It is located in the district of Kikuube formerly part of Hoima district. Kyangwali has hosted two different groups of refugees and also the Bakiga of South western Uganda from the district of Kabale. The Tutsi refugees from Rwanda, the generation of the current Rwandan leader, Paul Kagame lived in this settlement for about 30 years before going back around the time genocide occurred. 

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The second group are the refugees from North Kivu province that mainly  arrived here around 1996 during the war between Mobutu and Laurent Kabila that pretty much started in 1996 and up to 1997 when Mobutu is overthrown by the Rwanda and Ugandan led insurgency that led Laurent Kabila to power. At the time this group arrived, there was no direct road that linked the Kasonga Health Center IV, Kituuti to Kasonga Trading Center. Based on stories obtained orally from the refugee families that arrived here around that time, the refugee settlement had its reception center at Kinakyeitaka Primary School located in the village of Kinakyeitaka. 

A lot of food and relief Items were given to the families as soon as they arrived. They would stay there for two or more weeks, and later would be given a piece of land to start cultivating but this did not mean they lost their food ration from WFP immediately. They would continue to receive food for about 2 years and this would stop. As time went on, large numbers of these families were brought in and villages of Kyebitaka, Mukarange, Rwenyawawa, Nguruwe, Kasonga, Nyamiganda, Nyampindu, Mukunyu, Kagoma, Musisas A & B. The other villages created recently on the eastern part of the refugee camp have been due to an influx of refugees from the Ituri region of D.R Congo. 

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ARE YOU PLANNING TO VISIT KYANGWALI ?

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We got you covered. You may be wondering;sleeping, eating, recreation, shopping, Internet services, schools, churches or mosques, agriculture etc in a refugee camp? Kyangwali technically is not a refugee camp but a refugee settlement and we do have some the places and services for someone new to the area.  Kyangwali does have schools, hospitals, markets, soccer fields, restaurants and and local places to buy beer and gin.

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