Mbarara District is a district in South Western Uganda. In 2019 Uganda cabinet approved part of Mbarara the then Mbarara municipality to be upgraded to a city status in July 2020. Location Mbarara District is bordered by Ibanda District to the north, Kiruhura District to the east, Isingiro District to the southeast, Rwampara District to the southwest, Sheema District to the west and Buhweju District to the northwest. The district headquarters at Mbarara, the largest city in the sub-region, are located approximately , by road, southwest of Kampala, Uganda's capital city, and largest metropolitan area. The coordinates of the district are:00 36S, 30 36E. Overview Mbarara District is part of the Ankole sub-region. The districts that comprise Ankole include: (a) Buhweju District (b) Bushenyi District (c) Ibanda District (d) Isingiro District (e) Kiruhura District (f) Mbarara District (g) Mitooma District (h) Ntungamo District (i) Rubirizi District (j) Sheema District. The area covered by the above districts constituted the traditional Ankole Kingdom. In 1967, Milton Obote abolished the traditional kingdoms in Uganda. When Yoweri Museveni re-established them in 1993, Ankole did not re-constitute itself. Mbarara district consists of one municipality (Mbarara Municipality), and nineteen rural sub-counties, organized into two counties. Mbarara District covers a land area of , with an average elevation of about above sea level. The district receives an average annual rainfall of . Temperatures range between and . The district is subdivided into one municipal council, Mbarara Municipality, and 13 sub-counties, namely: 1. Kashari 2. Bubaare 3. Bukiro 4. Kagongi 5. Kakiika 6. Kashare 7. Rubaya 8. Rubindi 9. Rwanyamahembe 10. Biharwe 11. Kakoba 12. Kamukuzi 13. Nyamitanga. Population In 1991, the national census put the population of the district at about 267,500. The 2002 national census estimated the district population at about 361,500, with an estimated growth rate of about 2.2%. Of these, 51% were female and 49% were male. 55% of the district population are aged between 0 and 18 years. In 2012, the district population was estimated at approximately 445,600. Economic activities As is the case with the majority of Ugandan districts, agriculture is the mainstay of the economy of Mbarara District. Both crops and livestock are raised in the district, primarily on a subsistence level, but several commercial farms are located in the district. Crops grown include: Matooke Sweet Bananas Beans Sweet Potatoes Irish Potatoes Millet Cabbage Tomatoes Pineapples Avocado Passionfruit Papaya Mangoes The