| | | | | Introduction
Bukoba was nominated by UN-HABITAT, in consultation with the Lake Victoria Regional Cooperation (LVRLAC), to participate in the Second Generation Lake Victoria City Development Strategies (CDS) for Improved Urban Environment and Poverty Reduction programme. Bukoba, together with Homa Bay (Kenya) and Entebbe (Uganda) were inducted into the initiative at a workshop held in Kampala in May, 2005 to introduce the three cities to the CDS process. A second workshop was held in Entebbe in July 2005 for the six Lake Victoria CDS cities - Bukoba and Musoma (Tanzania), Entebbe and Kampala (Uganda), and Homa Bay and Kisumu (Kenya)- to build the capacities of the participating cities by training of trainers in the CDS process. Bukoba CDS Process
As part of the ongoing activities in the CDS process Bukoba Town Council has prepared a preliminary profile of the town. 
| | City Consultation
The council held its 1st CDS City Consultation on 23rd August 2005 where 146 participants attended. Participants included council officials, business community, water authority officials, NGOs, service providers, religious institutions, community representatives, councillors and members of parliament. The meeting was also attended by the Executive Director of UN-HABITAT, Mrs. Anna Tibaijuka. The aim of the consultation was to brief the participants on the CDS concepts and objectives. |
Location
Bukoba Town Council is one of the six local authorities in the Kagera region of Tanzania. Bukoba town is the administrative and commercial capital of Bukoba district and Kagera region. It also a gateway town to the Great Lakes countries of Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda and Burundi by virtue of its strategic location. Bukoba is bordered by Lake Victoria on the east. Area
Bukoba town has a total area of 80 square kilometers whereby 22 square kilometers of that area covered by water and the remaining 58 square kilometers is land. The town lies at an altitude of 1100 ft above sea level. Much of the town structures are at the basin surrounded by escarpments invariably decorated by coffee/banana plantations, trees, and rocks. Climate
Bukoba town enjoys an average temperature of about 23 degrees centigrade and an average rainfall of 2000 millimeters per year. There are two rainy seasons namely February to May and September to December. Even during the dry seasons of January to February and June to August, there are still spells of rain which account for Bukoba town being evergreen the whole year around. Population
According to the 1988 census statistics, Bukoba town had a population of 47,009 people and an average annual growth rate of 3.5%. The 2002 National census results record Bukoba town population as 81,221 people with annual growth rate of 4%. Of the total population, 40,380 are women and 40,841 are men. Administration
Administratively, it consists one division namely Rwamishenye which in turn comprises of 14 wards and 215 hamlets or ‘mitaa'. Out of 14 wards, 8 wards are situated in the ‘greenbelt' and the remaining 6 wards are located in urban proper. As for democratic representation of the people, Bukoba town has 21 councillors out of whom 2 are Members of Parliament. Political parties constituting the full council include Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) with 16 councillors and 1 Member of Parliament (special seats), Tanzania Labour Party TLP with 1, Chama Cha Demokrasia na Maendeleo (CHADEMA) with 1 and Civic United Front (CUF) with one councillor and 1 Member of Parliament. Out of 21 councillors 15 are men and 6 are women. Per capita income
It is estimated that per capita income for residents of Bukoba town is Tanzania Shillings 105,000/= at 1994 prices. Now it is believed that per capita income has to date been raised to Tanzania Shillings 385,000/=. However these figures are mere estimates and not authentic. Reliable figures will be available after the completion of a study being carried out in collaboration with all councils in Kagera region, Regional Administrative Office and the National Bureau of Standards to establish the GDP for Kagera region. Agriculture and Livestock
A substantial area of Bukoba urban is fully utilized for subsistence farming to enable the inhabitants to earn their living. Tea and coffee are the major cash crops grown in the area and banana, maize, sweet potatoes, cassava and yams are the main food crops especially for the majority of the people in greenbelt. Dairy cattle keeping, poultry and pig husbandry are also undertaken. Fishing
Fishing is one of the sectors which employs more than 300 people daily in fishing and allied activities. The species of the fish available in Lake Victoria include predominantly, the Nile perch, Tilapia, and Sardines. There are 7 fishing villages which are used as fish landing sites and 100 registered fishing boats. The fisheries sector contributes about 5% of the council income to date but there possibilities of increasing income generation levels in this sector. Heavy and Medium Industries
The industrial base in Bukoba is very small. Large and medium scale industrial development is confined to processing of coffee, food and beverages. The main industrial establishment in town includes a processing and grading coffee factory which produces a total of 22,000 tones per year. There is an instant coffee factory for manufacturing and packaging both for domestic use and export. The coffee industries absorbs a workforce of over 500 people. The soft drinks manufacturing industry employs 93 permanent workers besides 200 people who are seasonally engaged as laborers. Due to favorable condition for industrial development in Bukoba town, some businessmen have investing in the fish processing industry. Small Industries
Small scale industrial activities play a significant role in the town economy. It produces goods and commodities that are sold locally. A workforce of about 5,000 people is engaged in carpentry, brick making, tailoring and embroidering, masonry, mechanical repairs in car, motor cycle and bicycles. Transport and Transportation
The importance of Bukoba is also due to its strategic location as a node in the regional transportation network. Different conveyance such as roads, air and water link Bukoba. A tarmac road from Kampala,Uganda to Bukoba has been constructed. Under construction also, is a tarmac road connecting Bukoba town with Bukoba rural and Muleba districts. There are several ships and boats plying the waters of Lake Victoria . There are three marine services in Lake Victoria between Bukoba and Mwanza every week. There are also air link services of light aircraft connecting Bukoba to different part of the county. Communication
There is an elaborate land line as well as mobile telephones network in Bukoba town. It is estimated that 2,500 lines are used by the individual and institutional customers. Electricity
The town receives a reliable supply of hydro-electric power from Owen Falls dam in Jinja, Uganda. The supply of 2,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity should stimulate investors to choose Bukoba for their entrepreneurial endeavors. Bank and Postal Services
A postal company provides courier for mail, fax, parcel deliveries and EMS services in Bukoba town. There are also 5 banks which provide commercial and other banking services. Noteworthy, all the said banks have of late embarked on an aggressive credit facility programme to customers especially employees in the formal sector. Abattoirs
Bukoba town has only one modern slaughter house which is situated at Rwamishenye. Whereas the slaughter house has the capacity to slaughter 1,000 cattle per day, only an average of 18 cattle are slaughtered daily. Markets
There are 3 permanent markets which operate from morning to evening daily and one market, Kashai, which opens at 5.00 p.m. every day. Commodities sold in the markets include foodstuff, fruits, clothing, and bedding's. Supportive services which are provided by council are security, electricity, water, cleanliness and toilet facilities. Busstand and Parking Areas
In view of the fact that the number of mini and big buses has recently increased tremendously, the one and only bus stand is no longer capable to suffice as a parking area. There are over 30 passenger bus operating within and outside the town and over 200 taxis. Consequently, the council has designated 3 mini-bus parking areas and 4 areas as taxi parking to ease the congestion at the central bus park. Shops and Kiosk Business
At least 2,000 of all residents of Bukoba town are engaged in big, medium and petty business. Business premises include permanent structures, semi permanent rooms, and temporary sheds and even open spaces. Traditions and Cultural Values
Most of the inhabitants of Bukoba town are ‘Wahaya, Wanyambo, and Wahangaza', the indigenous and dominant tribes of Kagera region. Most of these people rely on traditional herbs for the cure and prevention of diseases. Most of them prefer a mixture of banana with beans, meat or fish as delicacy. Primary and pre-Primary Education
Bukoba town has a total of 19 pre-primary schools with a total of 992 pupils of whom 480 are boys and 512 are girls. The council has 26 primary schools with 14,507 pupils of whom 7,509 are girls and 6,363 are boys. Whereas 6 of the schools are privately owned, the remaining 20 are owned by the government. There are also special schools catering for children with physical and mental abnormalities such as the physical handicapped, the mentally retarded, the deaf and the blind. The 2 schools have a population of 200 pupils. Secondary Education
There are 9 secondary schools 6 of which are run by the government and 3 are private. The total number of students is 3,206 constituting 1,509 girls and 1,697 boys. University/Colleges
Bukoba town has 3 technical colleges with a total population of 120 students. There is also a branch of the Open University of Tanzania (OUT) with 75 students of whom 8 are women and 67 are men. Health Services
There are health facilities which are run by the government and private sectors. The health facilities available in 2002 are 1 government hospital with 250 beds, 2 health centers and 10 dispensaries. Agriculture and Livestock
The area suitable for agriculture is estimated to be 42,000 hectares, but only 2,400 hectares are currently under cultivation. Although only 30% of Bukoba town population is effectively involved in agriculture, services are nevertheless provided to that limited number of farmers through the 2 extension workers available. Road Services
The existing road network in Bukoba town covers a distance of 117.8 km Water
Water services in Bukoba town are provided by the Bukoba Water Supply and Sanitation Authority (BUWASA). The authority is run by a board constituted of members representing the water users, women, elected members (councillors), community business and the town director. The main water sources in Bukoba are Lake Victoria, rivers, gravity and water springs. It is estimated that nearly 67% of residents of this town have access to clean and safe water within a distance of 400 meters. The water demand currently stands at 7,500 cubic meters per day, but the actual production is only 6,200 cubic meters per day. However, there is a big problem of unaccounted for water which is 40%. The present pipe network is estimated to cover 75 kilometers and the existing 4 reserve tanks have the capacity to store 2,000 cubic meters per day.
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