Location

Mporokoso  District  lies between longitude 29 degrees and 30 east of Greenwich Meridian or longitude zero degree, and between latitudes 9 degrees and 10 degrees south of the equator. It lies between altitudes 1300m and 1500m above sea level.

The District has a total surface area of 4,015 square kilometers. Mporokoso District shares boundaries with Nsama, Kaputa and Mpulungu Districts in the North, Kasama and Mbala Districts in the East, Lunte District in the South and Kawambwa District in the West. Mporokoso is 178 kilometers West of Kasama, the Provincial Capital and 90 kilometers North East of Kalungwuishi Bridge, which borders with Kawambwa District in Luapula Province.

Vegetation

The District lies on the Muchinga plateau with savannah types of woodlands. Muchinga Mountains are very prominent in the Northern part of the District. These mountains influence the pattern of the rainfall in the District.

Climate

Mporokoso District receives an average annual rainfall of 1500mm with maximum temperatures varying between 30^o C and 35^oC. The rainy season extends from October to April/May the following year. The district is endowed with several rivers and streams that are perennial in nature. Notable big rivers are Mutotoshi, Luangwa, Kalungwishi, and Lufubu.

The major part of the land is not habited, more especially between Luangwa and Kalungwishi rivers, thus creating conditions very conducive for game ranching.

Mporokoso District lies on the Mbala-Kawambwa plateau. The soil texture is clay with hydrogen iron value (PH) of between 4.1 – 4.4 and classified as Rhodic feral soils. The soils are not stable due to heavy rains and are easily prone to erosion, and belong to Luangwa series. There are several pockets of physically and chemically good soil delivering from basic parent materials with very high agricultural potential throughout the District, providing a wide range of agricultural production activities. Vegetation is savannah woodland in nature, which is typical of Muchinga plateau. Tree species commonly found are Marquesia macroura (Museshi), Brachystegia spiciformis (Muombo), Daniellia asteeniana (Umunga nunshi), Piricopsis angolesnsis and Pterocarpus angolensis. Due to extensive Chitemene system of cultivation the woodland is being depleted and would soon be turned into mere savannah grassland. This is very common in areas locally habitated. The District has one forest reserve F193 which, recently had been invaded by the locals for Chitemene cultivation.

The district has several waterfalls with good scenery for tourism attraction. These include Kapumo waterfalls about four kilometers upstream the bridge along Mporokoso-Kawambwa highway, Mumbuluma falls about 60 kilometers from Mporokoso on Luangwa river, Lumangwe falls along Kalungwishi river some eleven kilometers downstream from Kalungwishi bridge and Kabwelume falls, about twenty five kilometers from the Kalungwishi bridge just to mention a few. Of these waterfalls Lumangwe has been earmarked for hydroelectricity power generation sand feasibility studies have already been done.

Population

According to the 2010 census of population and Housing, Mporokoso District has a total population of 98,842 with an estimated growth rate of 2.9 and population of 8.2 persons per square kilometer.

Traditional Leadership

Mporokoso District is predominately Bemba speaking. There is only one (1) Chief in the district, Chief Mumpolokoso. There are also a few Tabwas in the district particularly in the northern part.

The Chief is responsible for maintaining law and order by enforcing customary law through a committee called Nchenje, comprising advisers and village headmen.

Chiefs’ palaces in the district are not established on permanent basis, because each successor establishes a new palace soon after appointment.  This is a limitation because permanent buildings for traditional leaders cannot be built.

Economic and Social activities

Agriculture

The main occupation in the district is subsistence farming. The major crops are maize, beans, cassava and finger millet. Commercial farming activities are done on a small scale. The livestock that are reared in the district are Pigs, Goats, Sheep, and Chickens.

Health

Mporokoso District has one Hospital which was opened in 1976.  The Hospital has a Bed capacity of 120 beds and 4 cots. The District also has a total of 6 Rural Health centres and 3 Health Posts, The District also has a total of 71Neighbourhood Health Committees (NHCs), 56 Community Health Workers and 110 Safe motherhood Action Groups (SMAGS).

Education

The District has forty three (43) Primary Schools, five (5) secondary schools one special School for the Visually Impaired.  Currently, a Trades Training Institute situated on the out skirts of Mporokoso Boma along the Mporokoso – Kasama road is under construction.

Financial sector

National Credit and Savings Bank, is the only Bank providing financial services in the district.  MTN and Airtel Banking Services are also being offered by registered agents in the District

Tourism

The district has four main waterfalls namely  Lumangwe waterfalls about four kilometers upstream the bridge along Mporokoso – Kawambwa highway,  Mumbuluma falls about 60 kilometres from Mporokoso on Luangwa river,  Lumangwe falls along Kalungwishi river,  some eleven kilometers downstream from Kalungwishi bridge and Kabwelume falls,  about twenty five kilometers from the Kalungwishi bridge.  Of the four waterfalls Lumangwe has been earmarked for hydroelectricity generation and feasibility studies have already been done.  Other waterfalls worth mentioning are Yangu Mwila, Pule, Luapula and Kapumo.  These water falls are located in areas with beautiful scenic natural surroundings and not exposed to the outside world.  The waterfalls are an untapped economic sector in the district which has not been explored and if harnessed and nurtured would provide employment and income to the surrounding communities and the district in general.

Power, Transport & Communication

Energy: The district is connected to the national power grid.  Currently, plans are underway to generate power at Kalungwishi and a mini hydro power station at Kalepela Falls.  Lufubu Power Company intends to set up a substation in the District utilizing power from power to be generated from the Lufubu River involving three (3) Chiefdoms namely Mumpolokoso, Chitimbwa and Nsama.

Communication: There are telephone facilities in the district.  The phone and internet service providers to the district are Airtel, MTN and ZAMTEL and there are pay TV Channels

Mporokoso District has a fairly good road network.  The district is traversed by two (2) main roads.  One runs from the east in Kasama to Kaputa in the north, and one from the district to Kawambwa in neighboring Luapula Province.  There is also an intensive network of feeder roads throughout the district.  All roads in the district are gravel. Works on the upgrading of Kasama – Mporokoso road to bituminous standards has now been complete.  Plans are underway to upgrade the Mporokoso – Kawambwa road to bituminous standards.  Efforts are also underway to rehabilitate the network of feeder roads that are currently in a bad state due to years of neglect.