- AKERE DIVISOIN PROFILE
- Akere Division originated as a small nucleated settlement at Olelpek road to Akokoro road from the roundabout.
- It started by the efforts of 5 staff, seconded from the district through Municipal.
- Alyec cell was then selected to be the proposed Headquarter of Akere Division.
- Following Administrative re-organization, Akere was made one of the Division Councils, in July 2016 and it was also declared a planning area. It emerged from the then Apac Town Council, but now a Municipal Council in Apac District which was then the Headquarter of Western Lango District.
Akere may not grow fast enough despite those changes, this is simply because it lacks a significant economic base to simulate and sustain its growth into a thriving economic and service Centre. Despite that fact, Akere actually harbors the Municipal Urban Council HQ at the Central Ward, in the District.
1.2.2 Location and size
- Akere Division is located and apportioned south West of the Municipal Council area, with approximately 90(degrees) from the main Municipal roundabout through Olelpek and Akokoro roads respectively and is within Apac Municipal in Apac District. Akere Division HQ lies on Longitude 32.21 degrees East of Greenwich and latitude 1.43 degrees North of Equator.
- Akere division size is estimated 21.12 square Kilometers.
1.2.3 Relief
Akere stands a general altitude of 3.540ft above sea level.
The surrounding is the Northern Ugandan plateau mainly consisting of undulating to flat land surfaces separated by wide permanent or seasonal swamps.
The whole of Akere is drained by small swamps and the flows are seasonal Northwards into river Arocha.
1.2.4 Climate
The climate is relatively warm with rainfall always well distributed from April to October, during which mean monthly rainfall exceeds 110mm. the main dry seasons are December – march with short dry spell in June. The peak rainfall months are May and August.
1.2.5 Soils
The soils are variable and are generally sandy clay and sandy loamy with low Organic matter and low to medium nutrient availability.
1.2.6 Vegetation
- The Natural vegetation of Akere and its immediate surroundings is moist cumbersome savanna mainly with scattered shrubs in the grassland, although some woodland also exists.
1.2.7 Demographic factors
- According to the recent 2014 population and Housing Census, Akere had a total population of approx. 14,642 almost uniformly distributed within the four administrative wards in the division i.e., 4,483 in Central Ward, 3,373 in Ayera Ward, 3,503 in Angayiki Ward and 3,291 in Dam Ward respectively. However the projected population will push the population to 14,751 this year 2016.
- The population growth has been erratic and difficult to predict (see table)
Table 4: Population Growth of Akere division.
| Year | 1968 | 1980 | 1991 | 2002 | 2009 projected | 2014 |
| No. of people | 379 | 1716 | 7216 | 10,137 | 12,500 | 14,642 |
The erratic increase could have been attributed to the extension of the Municipal boundary. Also the influx of people into the Municipal is attributed to the insurgency, need for trade and investment.
Source: District planning unit.
1.2.8 Land tenure systems
Land tenure system in Akere division is of customary and freehold type, the former being dominant with freehold featuring more and leasehold type is also on the increase. There is personal attachment to land. Land conflict is rampant.
The women and youth who are the most productive sector have limited opportunity to influence land utilization.
- Roads
The main truck roads are the Olelpek (feeder) and Akokoro (Central) roads, which runs approximately 6 and 4 kilometers in length respectively. The main modes of transport are bicycles, Motorcycles and vehicles.
The access roads serving residential, commercial and industrial zones are as detailed below:
TABLE 7 ACCESS ROADS IN AKERE DIVISION COUNCIL
| SN | ROAD NAME | LENGTH IN KM | CELL | WARD | CONDITION | REMARKS |
| 1 | Teibu-Angayiki-Akuli Swamp | 5km | Angayiki | Poor and Seasonal | Reopening and grading | |
| 2 | Angayik’B’- Aminteng west | 4.8KM | Angayiki | Poor and Seasonal | To be opened and graded | |
| 3 | Alyec TC-Anyai | 4.3 | Dam and ayera | Poor and Seasonal | Needs opening | |
| 4 | Angayiki ‘B’-anyai ‘B’ | 3.9KM | Poor and Seasonal | Reopening and grading | ||
| 5 | Divine road – akere road | 1KM | Hospital and around | Central Ward | Poor and Seasonal | Opening |
| 6 | Agengi road –Alyec road | 3.5KM | Agengi Cell | Central ward | Poor and Seasonal | Tobe opened |
| 7 | Alyec road – Awinya road | 3KM | Alyec Imalo | Dam ward | Poor and Seasonal | Opening |
URBAN ROADS IN AKERE DIVISION
| 01 | Biasara street | 0.3 | 0.3 | Akere | Good | Maintanance req. | |
| 02 | Republic street | 0.9 | 0.9 | Akere | Fair | Drainage problem | |
| 03 | Owing Akulu road | 0.3 | 0.3 | Akere | Good | Good | |
| 04 | Church road | 0.7 | 0.7 | Akere | Good | Maintanance req. | |
| 05 | Rev.Gedeon. Odongo | 2 | 2 | Akere | Fair | Drainage problem | |
| 06 | Civic road 01 | 0.3 | 0.3 | Akere | Fair | Gravel & Drainage | |
| 07 | Bali Road | 1 | 1 | Akere | Good | Maintanance req. | |
| 08 | Akokoro road | 0.9 | 5.3 | 6.2 | Akere | Good | National road |
| 09 | Kibula Lane | 0.3 | 0.3 | Akere | Bad | Gravel & Drainage | |
| 10 | Civic road 02 | 0.6 | 0.6 | Akere | Bad | Gravel & Drainage | |
| 11 | Hospital road | 0.8 | 0.8 | Akere | Fair | Maintanance req. | |
| 12 | Ecel Road | 0.8 | 0.8 | Akere | Good | Maintanance req. | |
| 13 | Akere road. | 1.6 | 1.6 | Akere | Good | Maintanance req. | |
| 14 | Alyec-Atopi Prision | 2.8 | 2.8 | Akere | Bad | Gravel & Drainage | |
| 15 | Hospital link 01 | 0.2 | 0.2 | Akere | Good | Maintanance req. | |
| 16 | Ecel Rooad Link | 0.2 | 0.2 | Akere | Good | Maintanance req. | |
| 17 | Atopi-Ayera | 3 | 3 | Akere | Good | Maintanance req. | |
| 18 | Alyec-Angayiki road | 4.3 | 4.3 | Akere | Good | Good | |
| Total Akere Division | 0.9 | 22.6 | 23.5 |
- Telephone network/ internet services
There are four mobile phone net works, which can be picked in most parts of the Akere divisionl. These are MTN, AIRTEL/WARID, MANGO / UTL and ORANGE networks. Internet services are numerous (exist in government, NGO offices and private internet cafes).
- Television
The television services can be picked from DSTV, GoTV, Star times and UBC/UTV located at Odokomit. The use of television service is not common in the Akere division.
1.2.12 Postal services
The nearby service available is the Uganda postal service. However there are counter services available in division which is commonly courier and quick service.
1.2.13 Banking
The available banking service includes mobile money transaction and other microfinance institutions such as Letshego, VSLA, mobile banking
1.2.14 Electricity
The national grid line passing through the Division is (UMEME) and the communities in the division Council are utilizing the services. There are 3 transformers currently supplying power and 07 cells accessing this power out of 22 cells. Other sources of energy in use are solar, wood fuel; paraffin and few households use generators.
1.2.15 Water coverage
The Akere Urban Council has water coverage of 96% compared to the District figure of 69.8%.
Total connection of pipe water supply to house hold is 236 which is Equivalent to 86%.
The safe water coverage is at 61 percent. The division Council still has inadequate coverage of piped water. Unsafe water sources like water ponds, swamps and even some deep wells are sometimes used, basically during the wet season. The situation is therefore worse during the dry season where by women suffer by queuing and sleepless night for water during these periods. Sometimes they have to travel over half a kilometer to fetch water. Poor maintenance of water source is common.
Table 6: Economy
| WARD | ECONOMIC ACTIVITY |
| CENTRAL | – Crop production – Brick making – Live stock production – Brewing – Fish marketing – Trade – Small scale industry – Butchery |
| DAM | Crop production Livestock production small scale industry brewing TradeBrick making |
| ANGAYIKI | Crop production Livestock production Small scale industry Brewing TradeBricks making |
| AYERA | Crop production Livestock productionsmall scale industry brewing TradeBrick making |
The division is fairly urbanized with an average population of over 14,642 people. Most of the rural population come to the division’s commercial centers in the morning and set back in the evening to their various residents.
The Youth and Adults constitute 62% of the urban population. Women constitute about 54% while the men 46% of the urban population.
Over 90% of the population are Luo speaking with less than 5% being non-Luo speakers who basically are civil servants and cattle keepers.
The sources of livelihood of the Council population mainly are:
- Salaries and wages for employees.
- Business.
- Farming where people practice mixed farming at subsistence level, quarry work which employs both Town residents and neighboring ward practice mixed farming at subsistence level.
- Most women are involved in distillation of Local potent gin to earn a source of living.
- Last but not least, there are sections of idle groups with no specific occupation some ending up in prostitution and drunkenness and idleness.
1.2.17 Administrative Units
Akere Division Council has four Wards ie (Central, Dam, Angayiki, and Ayera Ward) with twenty two (22) Cells as shown below.
Table7: Administrative units of AKERE DIVISION
| Wards | No. of Cells | Households | Population | Total | Estimated Area (Km2 ) | |
| Male | Female | |||||
| Central | 7 | 878 | 2,575 | 2,682 | 5,257 | 4.53 |
| Dam | 5 | 501 | 1,534 | 1,505 | 3,039 | 5.49 |
| Angayiki | 5 | 639 | 1,923 | 1,974 | 3,897 | 5.32 |
| Ayera | 5 | 487 | 1,230 | 1,219 | 2,449 | 5.78 |
| TOTAL | 22 | 2,505 | 7,262 | 7,380 | 14,642 | 21.12 |
Table 8: Administrative set up by Wards and Cells
| Wards | Cells | No. of cells |
| Central | Biasharas Centre ‘C’ Hospital & around Dul Owelo Alwala Agengi Akere | 07 |
| Dam | Bar-odong Ocok can Alyec imalo Alyec ipiny Awinya | 05 |
| Angayiki | Angayiki ‘A’ Angayiki ‘B’ Anyalo Te- ibu west Aminteng west | 05 |
| Ayera | Atopi prison Ayera ‘A’ Atopi south Bar- Ayom Ayera ’B’ | 05 |
Table 9: Comparing the four wards.
| Central Ward | Dam Ward |
| Highest population having 5,257 inhabitants: Female 2,682, Male 2,575 | Lower population having 3,039 inhabitants: Female 1,505 Male 1,534 |
| Higher and flat topography | Low and swampy topography |
| Has 18 boreholes, 10 shallow wells and 1 motorized pump (Apac Hospital. | |
| More road networks of about 10 | Has about 04 road networks |
| More resources in terms of capital development: Hospital (main), Administration buildings, stadium, banks electric power station, police administration and barracks many shops, A Primary Schools, Headquarters: (Catholic, Protestant, Municipal, District,) 2 Radio Stations, Post Office, Independence Ground (Field),Mobil Telephone Masks, Nurses training school, e.t.c. | Fewer resources: Markets, 2 Primary School (one is Private), Small-scale cottage Industry (Grinding mills) few shops. |
| Angayiki Ward | Ayera Ward |
| Has the second highest population with 3,897 people | Least populated |
One will realize that the above differences shows that the central Ward is the centre of major economic and developmental activities with most of its dwellers employed while others doing business. However, the dam Ward is largely swampy with low economic and developmental activities. The high population, fair infrastructure, wider tax collection base and more electricity network in central Ward are responsible for its good Socio-economic development to other ward.
The key silent physical futures that may create unique identity in Division Council are mainly:
Small Swamps, mostly pouring its water northwards across Akokoro road, into River Arocha.