Visit Kidepo Valley National Game Park

Wednesday, June 14, 2017

1. Tourism
Rangeland and Savannah environment camping sites, mountain climbing, sites (Nakiloro) findings of one of the oldest mammals, Apule place of dispersion of the Karimojong), wildlife and birds, handicrafts and woodwork, cultural aspects and culture all provide good attraction for visitors. Proximity to the two Countries of Kenya in the East and Sudan to the South provides an avenue for cross-border trade development and communication potential for instance it could facilitate the creation of an alternative by-pass route to the North of Africa. There are also the rangeland sceneries with a beautiful mountain views that could be used as campsites by tourists if developed.

1.1. Geographical Features
2.1 Topography
3..2 Climate
The climate in Moroto is semiarid characterized by an intense hot season, lasting from November to March. The rainy season is from April to August with marked minimum in June and marked peaks in May and July. Rainfall is in the range of 300mm to 1200mm per year with mean annual rainfall of 800mm.

The mean maximum temperature ranges from 280C – 330C during the dry season. Generally, the hottest months are January and February were average maximum temperature may reach 33.50C; while in October – December average maximum temperature is 29.50C. Mean minimum temperature ranges from 150C – 170C. Available records indicate an average relative humidity of 63% during morning hours and 46% during the afternoon. As expected, lowest relative humidity values are experienced during the months of drought and also higher values are recorded in the morning hours.

1. Soils
The soil composition is a representation of the East African Orogen comprising of a west to north-west trending thrust belt of amphibolite-grade supracrustals, granitoids, and ophiolites. The Karamoja belt contains the Aswa Shear Zone, which is a brittle-ductile, north-west trending, mega strike-slip shear zone, with complex, anastomosing fault planes. The different soils found in the area resulted from millions of years of weathering of rocks, which are gradually changed into the soil by the action of rain and sun (heating and cooling), perhaps wind and flowing water, the growth and decaying of vegetation.

Alluvial sandy clays and rocky sand from basement complex granites and gneisses is found close to Moroto Town consisting of blackish or brownish alluvial clays from Tertiary Volcanic. the following categories of soils are dominant:- Ferruginous tropical soils are found in Nadunget Sub County in Moroto and east of Katikekile Sub County in Moroto. These soils consist of ABC profiles and profiles are usually less than 2.5 meters thick. Since the proposed quarry site falls in Nadunget, these are the likely type of soils on site; Ferris sols is a transitional group of soils of high altitudes and is predominantly found on the higher slopes of Mt Moroto especially on the western and southern slopes; Hydromorphic soils are saline soils formed from a wide range of consolidated parent materials, they are found along the border between Tapac and Katikekile Sub Counties.

1. Hydrology
The rainy season is from late April to August with an average rainfall of 650mm below the crop requirement. The main wetland systems identified include Okok – Nakodiokodio that are fairly large seasonally flooded wooded grasslands; and Okere – Nangolol Apolon, a small long and narrow seasonal system/network, draining in Kocholut, Kotipe and Loki dams, the Kotabok wetland, a vast wetland system that drains the area up to the foot of Mt Moroto. Most wetlands are seasonally flooded grasslands dominated by Acacia – Hyparrhenia species. Several species of reptiles, amphibians, and birds such as cattle egrets can be found in the wetlands. Hunting at the subsistence level for meat is common. Some of the wetlands are being cultivated, while others have been modified by bushfire and cutting of trees. Most wetlands in Moroto district are located in very remote and insecure areas, such as the Bokora-Matheniko Wildlife Reserve, part of the reason they have remained intact.
The district also has dams and ponds such as Kobebe dam. However, this has been threatened by firewood collection and charcoal harvesting. Other challenges include high sediment loading and siltation due to direct watering, high grazing intensity around the dam periphery, cutting of trees and soil erosion. Nine of the ten dams in Moroto district are located in Rupa sub-county; Wetlands