The district was created by act of parliament and started functioning on 1 July 2010. Prior to that, it was part of Kapchorwa District. Together with Kapchorwa District and Bukwo District, it forms the Sebei sub-region, formerly known as Sebei District. The district is located on the northern slopes of Mount Elgon, at an average altitude of about , above sea level. The district has three town councils; namely: Binyiny, where the district headquarters are located, Kaproron and Chepsukunya.