The District has a tropical climate. The annual average temperature is 26 degrees C. Average annual rainfall measured over 25 years period is 1,040 mm with a minimum of 730 mm/year (1981) and a maximum annual rainfall of 1,290 mm/per year in 1991. Rainfall distribution is bimodal, with peak rains falling between September to December and March to May. The period between January and February is the dry spell while June to September is a period of marginal or no rainfall. In general, rainfall decreases from East to West.

The Natural Vegetation is categorized as lush savanna bush interspersed with pockets of natural forest in the plateaus and papyrus reeds and Acacia species in the lowlands along the riverbanks and swamps. Overall forest area is estimated to be 300,000 hectares but rapidly decreasing with the current rate of bush-fires and use of forest products for household consumption. Vegetation cover of the district is approximately as follows: continuous banana-coffee plantations and annual crops about 40%, woodlands, savanna, forest, plains and shrub patches about 50%, closed forest only about 5%, seasonal swamps of papyrus, reeds and acacia species about 5% (FSR Diagnostic survey, 1995).

Land Use

Most of the land in Tanzania is held in trust by various levels of the government. At the district level, it is held in trust by the village governments. People who require land apply to the village governments for allocation. If an allottee does not utilize his parcel for the intended purpose, he loses the right over it and another allottee is given the right over the same land. Due to permanency of settlement by the local communities, land ownership has been passed from one generation to another. As a result, land has been transformed to family ownership. Because of the patri-lineal nature in which land is inherited, women do not own land but have only access to it. Village governments preserve some land which is used for communal grazing, provision of fuel wood, thatching and mulching grass. Although people have land under their direct use, title deeds have not been allocated to them. Clan land is known as Kibanja and this is also the main land use type. Married women have access to land through their husbands, but this accessibility is retracted in case of any marital separation, including death of the husband. Generally this is seen as unfairness of existing cultural practices on the status of women in society. 

Land in the district is mainly used for farming and to a lesser extent, for livestock keeping. Wooded and open grasslands constitute a large portion of the land mass. Land is intensively used in the northern part of the district, with smaller land parcels than in the southern part. Deforestation is taking place in the whole district, with areas occupied by refugees being most affected. Tree planting is not a popular activity and natural regeneration seems to be the main reforestation mechanism however, seriously threatened by regular and massive bush burning.

Demography

Based on the 1988 population census, the total population of Karagwe District is estimated to be about 407,566 (2001). The population growth rate is estimated at 2.8% per annum. The sex composition of the district population has changed since the 1988 census. By then, males were 49.5% of the population and females 50.5%. In the 1996 district counts, males were 46.6% and females 53.4% of the population respectively. 

Population figures also show that the dependency ratio in the district is 1: 3, or 72%. The dependency rate is increasing in result of the AIDS/HIV endemic. An estimated 35,000 children are orphaned, with about 12.5% of those caused by HIV/AIDS. Almost half of the district population is in the primary school going age group (5 to 14 years of age). Average household seize is 6.8 persons. Life expectancy has stagnated and is now the lowest in the country. Young (educated) people increasingly leave the region in search for employment elsewhere. 

The dominant ethnic group is the Wanyambo however, due to political instability in the neighboring Rwanda and Uganda, Karagwe has been receiving immigrants from other ethnic origins: Wakiga, Wanyarwanda and Wahima. In addition there is a significant number of people of the Wahaya and Wasubi tribes from Bukoba.

Traditionally gender inequalities are a normal feature of the Karagwe society and as such are difficult to be addressed. Women have little or no access and control to means of production. Apart from unfairness of existing cultural practices on the status of women in society in respect of land ownership, the practice of polygamy also compromise a women's situation in society as the first wife must accept a new wife and her rules, or risk a divorce and loose everything. Generally, women undertake most household activities such as cooking, cleaning, washing, and milking. Men help with few activities, but focus more on obtaining revenue for the household.

Economy

The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) for Karagwe district is difficult to establish. An recent economic research for Kagera region though estimates an average income close to Tsh 85,000, which is only 2/3 (USD 100/-) of the National average and shows the relative poverty of the region. Average economic growth of Kagera is 2.6% during the last ten years, with a clear improvement since 1995. However, economic growth is almost equal to the population growth in the region. As a result, the average income per person has hardly changed throughout the period. Large income inequalities within the district are evident with an estimated 40% of the total population living in absolute poverty.

The main economic activity in the district is agriculture. The economy is dominated by subsistence small holders who grow bananas and beans for local consumption and for the domestic market. Coffee (Robusta), bananas and beans are the main cash crops of which the first one the most important one in terms of export earnings. Farmers sell coffee to the Karagwe District Co-operative Union (KDCU). Illegal trading of coffee with Uganda is substantial as prices are relatively better. During periods of good rains, substantial surpluses of maize, beans, banana and casava are marketed in the region.

Livestock keeping is the second most important activity in the district . There are four main livestock production systems in the district: (i) keeping of indigenous cattle on communal land together with cultivation, (ii) semi-nomadic livestock keeping, (iii) small holder dairy system, mainly cross of Friesian and either Boran cattle, East African Zebu or Ankolean cattle, (iv) large-scale beef cattle ranches (5 ranches owned by the National ranching Company (NARCO).

Industrialization has hardly taken off due to the relative isolation of Karagwe (and Kagera), limitations on cross-border trade (legal, security), poor transport and communication networks and little electrification (only in Kayanga and Omurashaka, 1994). Many micro and small enterprises exist and recently (2000) a coffee curing plant was established. Trade is slowly liberalized and diversified although there are still a lot of stumbling blocks to be cleared, including poor marketing systems. Wholesalers and retailers are widely spread across the district and common consumer commodities are available across the district. The newly established Telephone System (1999) is supposed to give a boost to the growth of the local economy as is expected of the newly constructed bridge crossing of the Kagera River at Murongo, also opened by the end of 1999. There is potential small scale tin mining in the district however, the state mining corporation (STAMICO) is dormant at present.

Political & Administrative Structure

Administratively , Karagwe district consists of four divisions: (i) Kaisho/Murongo, (ii) Bugene / Nyaishozi, (iii) Kituntu / Mabira and (iv) Nyabiyonza. The divisions are divided into 28 Wards, 117 registered villages and 1.191 sub-villages.
 

Administrative units/population

   
 There are two parliamentary constituencies with elected members of parliament: Karagwe and Kyerwa.

The District Council whose major mandate includes development in the rural and urban areas has 28 elected male councilors and 7 nominated women councilors. Councilors are the Chairmen of the Ward Development Committees. All the elected and nominated councilors elect a Council chairman who chairs the Finance and Planning Committee and the Full Council meetings. The Council operates with sub-committees that are mandated to look at various issues of administration, management and development of the district (e.g. Finance and Planning committee, Economic Affairs Committee, Establishment and Administration committee, Social Services committee). Under the Local Government reform program, the number of Full Council sub-committees will be reduced to 3. The Council receives funding from (I) local revenue collection, (ii) the central government and (iii) various donors.

Karagwe District is expected to be among the last group of districts to implement the Local Government Reform Strategy (LGR) in 2002. The LGR aims at empowering local authorities to handle more functions and responsibilities, formerly handled by the central government (e.g., full mandate in matters relating to 'hiring and firing' of all staffs). 

During 2000 general elections took place for the Members of Parliament, District Council and Village Government. Only 11 councilors were re-elected. The CCM dominated the elections with 22 seats, while TLP got 5 seats and CUF only 1 seat. The Members of Parliament for Karagwe constituency retained his seat (51%), the MP for Kyerwa constituency was replaced by a member of TLP.