The Kiryandongo area was first used for resettling refugees in 1954 [4] when the British colonial administration asked the Bunyoro Native Government to give the Colonial Government of the Governor to move Kenyan refugees fleeing the Mau Mau Uprising to Kigumba in what was then Masindi District. The Bunyoro Native Government gave land to the Governor for the period of 49 years. During the Idi Amin administration, the land was part of a large-scale government ranching scheme, of which reminders remain today in the names of the subdivisions of the camp. This left the land sparsely populated.[5]
Kiryandongo also served as an interim stop for displaced people transiting to other camps, including 22,000 who moved from the Achol-Pii Refugee Settlement to Kyangwali in 2002.[6]
The settlement was later re-opened in 2014 during the South Sudanese emergency to accommodate the influx of refugees fleeing conflict.[2] The majority of refugees housed in the settlement are from South Sudan, with smaller populations from other neighboring countries.[2] The settlement is strategically located on the road between Kampala and Gulu in Northern Uganda.[7]
Demographics and population
As of 2024, the settlement houses more than 100,000 people, making it one of the largest refugee settlements in Uganda.[1] The settlement has experienced significant population growth, particularly with the recent influx of Sudanese refugees fleeing the ongoing conflict in their homeland.[8] Over 10,000 new arrivals have been registered by UNHCR and transferred to the settlement in recent months.[9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16]
Annual population snapshot in Kiryandongo Settlement
Date
Refugee Population
January 2018
57,202
April 2019
57,818
January 2020
64,745
January 2021
70,787
January 2022
75,823
January 2023
65,909
January 2024
82,971
For the time periods represented in the table, the majority of refugees housed in the settlement are from South Sudan.[3] In 2024, refugees from Sudan became the second-largest group in the settlement, following intensification of the Sudanese civil war.[17]
Management and services
The settlement is managed by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and provides shelter, land, and support services to refugees.[1] Various international organizations operate within the settlement, including UNICEF, the Lutheran World Federation, and the Real Medicine Foundation.[18] The settlement provides various services including child protection interventions, education, healthcare, and water supply systems.[18] Kiryandongo provides basic necessities to over 100,000 refugees.[1]
Healthcare services
Some of the health centers in the settlement were taken by RMF which included, Panyadi Health Centre III, Panyadi Hills Health Centre II, and Reception Centre Clinic.[1]
Social services
The Youth Peacemaker Network provides youth programs to more than 65,000 refugees at Kiryandongo. It is a collaboration with the Western Union Foundation.[19]
Challenges
The settlement faces numerous challenges including limited water supply, overcrowding, and occasional inter-community tensions.[9] Recent reports indicate deteriorating conditions and safety concerns, particularly with the rapid influx of new arrivals from Sudan.[8] The settlement has experienced incidents of violence, including clashes between different refugee communities that have resulted in casualties.[20]
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Uganda