Pakwach
title: "Pakwach" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["populated-places-in-northern-region,-uganda", "lake-albert-(africa)", "populated-places-on-the-nile", "pakwach-district", "west-nile-sub-region"] topic_path: "general/populated-places-in-northern-region-uganda" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pakwach" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::data[format=table title="Infobox settlement"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| official_name | |
| native_name | |
| motto | |
| image_skyline | Eclipse monument in Pakwach.jpg |
| pushpin_map | Uganda |
| pushpin_label_position | bottom |
| pushpin_map_caption | Location in Uganda |
| subdivision_type | |
| subdivision_name | [[Image:Flag of Uganda.svg |
| subdivision_type1 | Region |
| subdivision_name1 | Northern Region of Uganda |
| subdivision_type2 | Sub-region |
| subdivision_name2 | West Nile sub-region |
| subdivision_type3 | District |
| subdivision_name3 | Pakwach District |
| subdivision_name4 | |
| leader_title | Mayor |
| leader_title1 | |
| established_title | |
| established_title2 | |
| established_title3 | |
| established_date3 | |
| unit_pref | Imperial |
| area_total_km2 | |
| area_land_km2 | |
| area_total_sq_mi | 8.96 |
| area_blank1_sq_mi | |
| population_as_of | 2024 Census |
| population_footnotes | |
| population_total | 31079 |
| population_blank1_title | Ethnicities |
| population_blank2_title | Religions |
| population_density_blank1_sq_mi | |
| coordinates | |
| elevation_footnotes | |
| elevation_m | 623 |
| elevation_ft | |
| postal_code_type | |
| :: |
| official_name = Pakwach | other_name = | native_name = | nickname = | settlement_type = | motto = | image_skyline = Eclipse monument in Pakwach.jpg | imagesize = | image_caption = | image_flag = | flag_size = | image_seal = | seal_size = | image_shield = | shield_size = | image_blank_emblem = | blank_emblem_type = | blank_emblem_size = | image_map = | mapsize = | map_caption = | image_map1 = | mapsize1 = | map_caption1 = | image_dot_map = | dot_mapsize = | dot_map_caption = | dot_x = | dot_y = | pushpin_map = Uganda | pushpin_label_position = bottom | pushpin_map_caption = Location in Uganda | subdivision_type = Country | subdivision_name = [[Image:Flag of Uganda.svg|25px]] Uganda | subdivision_type1 = Region | subdivision_name1 = Northern Region of Uganda | subdivision_type2 = Sub-region | subdivision_name2 = West Nile sub-region | subdivision_type3 = District | subdivision_name3 = Pakwach District | subdivision_type4 = | subdivision_name4 = | government_footnotes = | government_type = | leader_title = Mayor | leader_name = | leader_title1 = | leader_name1 = | leader_title2 = | leader_name2 = | leader_title3 = | leader_name3 = | leader_title4 = | leader_name4 = | established_title = | established_date = | established_title2 = | established_date2 = | established_title3 = | established_date3 = | area_magnitude = | unit_pref = Imperial | area_footnotes = | area_total_km2 = | area_land_km2 = | area_water_km2 = | area_total_sq_mi = 8.96 | area_land_sq_mi = | area_water_sq_mi = | area_water_percent = | area_urban_km2 = | area_urban_sq_mi = | area_metro_km2 = | area_metro_sq_mi = | area_blank1_title = | area_blank1_km2 = | area_blank1_sq_mi = | population_as_of = 2024 Census | population_footnotes = | population_note = | population_total = 31079 | population_density_km2 = | population_density_sq_mi = | population_metro = | population_density_metro_km2 = | population_density_metro_sq_mi = | population_urban = | population_density_urban_km2 = | population_density_urban_sq_mi = | population_blank1_title = Ethnicities | population_blank1 = | population_blank2_title = Religions | population_blank2 = | population_density_blank1_km2 = | population_density_blank1_sq_mi = | timezone = | utc_offset = | timezone_DST = | utc_offset_DST = | coordinates = | elevation_footnotes = | elevation_m = 623 | elevation_ft = | postal_code_type = | postal_code = | area_code = | blank_name = | blank_info = | blank1_name = | blank1_info = | website = | footnotes = ::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b6/3_women_walk_along_old_railway_tracks_carrying_spear_grass_to_the_market_in_Pakwach,_Northern_Uganda.jpg" caption="3 women walk along old railway tracks carrying spear grass to the market in Pakwach, Northern Uganda"] ::
::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3e/Viewing_eclipse_through_cellophane.jpg" caption="Viewing eclipse through cellophane."] ::
Pakwach is a town in the Northern Region of Uganda. It is the main commercial, political and administrative center of Pakwach District. In the 19th century the town came under brief occupation by the Ottoman branch of the Khedivate of Egypt, as part of Hatt-ı Üstuva (Equatoria) Vilayet.
Geography
::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c3/Albert_Nile_Bridge_in_Pakwach_district,_north_eastern_Uganda.jpg" caption="Famous bridge before entring Pakwach" alt="#WCUG2024"] ::
Pakwach is in Pakwach District, West Nile sub-region. It is approximately 53 km east of Nebbi, the nearest large town.{{google maps| url=https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Pakwach/Nebbi/@2.5464571,31.0098352,10z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m14!4m13!1m5!1m1!1s0x176fdba7083d049f:0xb40b95bcc7eb81e9!2m2!1d31.4941738!2d2.4607141!1m5!1m1!1s0x176fbad301a3d3fb:0x6636d34b48c389a4!2m2!1d31.0851019!2d2.4778169!3e0 | title=Distance between Pakwach, Northern Region, Uganda and Nebbi, Northern Region, Uganda |access-date=24 December 2020}} It is approximately 131 km southeast of Arua, the largest city in the West Nile sub-region.{{google maps| url=https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Pakwach/Arua/@2.727243,30.9200353,10z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m14!4m13!1m5!1m1!1s0x176fdba7083d049f:0xb40b95bcc7eb81e9!2m2!1d31.4941738!2d2.4607141!1m5!1m1!1s0x176e6265a178c769:0xaa1e18867d91929c!2m2!1d30.907304!2d3.0303299!3e0 | title=Distance between Arua, Northern Region, Uganda and Pakwach, Northern Region, Uganda |access-date=24 December 2020}}
This is along the western bank of the Albert Nile, approximately 121 km southwest of Gulu, the largest city in the Uganda's Northern Region.{{google maps| url=https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Pakwach/Gulu/@2.6119791,31.3319267,9z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m14!4m13!1m5!1m1!1s0x176fdba7083d049f:0xb40b95bcc7eb81e9!2m2!1d31.4941738!2d2.4607141!1m5!1m1!1s0x1771a65c0fc42a27:0xce6ef3d1c3d80e06!2m2!1d32.2880726!2d2.7724038!3e0 | title=Distance between Pakwach, Northern Region, Uganda and Gulu, Northern Region, Uganda |access-date-24 December 2020}} The coordinates of Pakwach are 2°27'43.0"N, 31°29'54.0"E (Latitude:2.461944; Longitude:31.498333).
Population
The 2002 national census estimated the population of the town at 17,625. The Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS) estimated the population of Pakwach at in 21,700, in 2010. In 2011, UBOS estimated the mid-year population of at 22,300.{{cite web | work=Uganda Bureau of Statistics |date=2012 | url=http://www.ubos.org/onlinefiles/uploads/ubos/pdf%20documents/TP52010.pdf | title=Estimated Population of Pakwach in 2002, 2010 & 2011 | author=Uganda Bureau of Statistics |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140707231502/http://www.ubos.org/onlinefiles/uploads/ubos/pdf%20documents/TP52010.pdf |access-date=8 August 2021 |archive-date=2014-07-07 | format=Archived from the original on 7 July 2014}} In 2014, the national population census put the population at 23,040.
In 2015, UBOS estimated the population of Pakwach, Uganda at 23,700. In 2020 UBOS estimated the mid-year population of the town at 28,700 inhabitants, of whom 14,900 (51.9 percent) were females and 13,800 (48.1 percent) were males. UBOS calculated that the population of this town increased at an average annual rate of 3.6 percent, between 2015 and 2020.{{cite web| work=Citypopulation.de Quoting Uganda Bureau of Statistics |title=The population development of Pakwach as well as related information and services |date=14 June 2020 | url=https://www.citypopulation.de/en/uganda/northern/admin/pakwach/SC0129__pakwach/ |author=Uganda Bureau of Statistics | access-date=8 August 2021}}{{Historical populations| 1969|935|2002|17,625|2010|21,700|2011|22,300|2014|23,040| 2015|23,700|2020|28,700|||align=none|footnote=source:}}
2013 total solar eclipse
On 3 November 2013, Pakwach was the centre of Uganda's solar eclipse celebrations. Thousands of locals were joined by solar eclipse tourists and professional observers. The official celebration, which took place at a primary school 10 kilometers from the town of Pakwach, was attended by three kings (Rwothi), Uganda's President Museveni, and cabinet ministers.
Points of interest
The following additional points of interest lie within or close to the town limits: (a) the offices of Pakwach Town Council (b) the offices of Pakwach District local government (c) Pakwach central market (d) the northwestern corner of Murchison Falls National Park, a few kilometers east of Pakwach (e) the Karuma–Olwiyo–Pakwach–Nebbi–Arua Road passes through the middle of town in a general east to west direction and the proposed Pakwach Campus of Muni University, housing the Faculty of Fisheries and Aquaculture Uganda Christian University, with its man campus in Mukono, maintains a campus in Pakwach.{{cite web| url=http://mobile.monitor.co.ug/Know-Your-Hood--Pakwach--the-home-of-the-leopards/-/691260/2070468/-/format/xhtml/-/eh8w9sz/-/index.html| date=13 November 2013 |access-date=5 August 2017 |title=Know Your Hood: Pakwach, the home of the leopards|newspaper=Daily Monitor Mobile | location=Kampala |author=Mobile Monitor}}
References
References
- PRO. (2 July 2017). "The new Pakwach District has been operationalized". Radiopacis.org (PRO).
- "Location of Pakwach at Google Maps".
- Uganda Bureau of Statistics. (27 August 2014). "The Population of The Regions of the Republic of Uganda And All Cities And Towns of More Than 15,000 Inhabitants". Citypopulation.de Quoting [[Uganda Bureau of Statistics]].
- Steven Candia, and Benedict Okethwengu. (4 November 2013). "Thousands view total solar eclipse in Pakwach". [[New Vision]] (Kampala).
- Oleny, Solomon. (28 October 2013). "Sites And Sounds of Uganda: more than the eclipse at Pakwach". [[New Vision]] (Kampala).
- Ssenkabira. "Mixed reactions as West Nile gets first University". [[Daily Monitor]].
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