Kavango East

{{short description|Region of Namibia}} {{Use dmy dates|date=October 2025}} {{Infobox settlement  | name = Kavango East | native_name = | native_name_lang =  | settlement_type = Region | image_skyline = | image_alt = | image_caption = | image_flag = | flag_size = 125px | flag_alt = | image_seal = | seal_alt = | image_shield = | shield_alt = | nickname = | motto = | image_map = Kavango East in Namibia.svg | mapsize = 200 | map_alt = | map_caption = The Kavango East Region (red) in Namibia | pushpin_map = | pushpin_label_position = | pushpin_map_alt = | pushpin_map_caption = | coordinates = | coor_pinpoint = | coordinates_footnotes = | subdivision_type = Country | subdivision_name = [[Namibia]] | subdivision_type1 = | subdivision_name1 = | subdivision_type2 = | subdivision_name2 = | subdivision_type3 = | subdivision_name3 = | established_title = | established_date = | founder = | seat_type = | seat = [[Rundu]] | government_footnotes = | leader_party = [[SWAPO]] | leader_title = Governor | leader_name = [[Bonifatius Wakudumo]]<ref name=Goodbye>{{cite news | url=https://www.namibiansun.com/news/goodbye2020-04-08/ | title=Goodbye | date=10 April 2020 | page=1 | newspaper=[[Namibian Sun]]}}</ref> | unit_pref = Metric   | area_footnotes= | area_urban_footnotes=  | area_rural_footnotes =  | area_metro_footnotes =  | area_magnitude =  | area_note = | area_water_percent = | area_rank = | area_blank1_title = | area_blank2_title =  | area_total_km2 = 23,988 | area_land_km2 = | area_water_km2 = | area_urban_km2 = | area_rural_km2 = | area_metro_km2 = | area_blank1_km2 = | area_blank2_km2 = | length_km = | width_km = | dimensions_footnotes = | elevation_footnotes = | elevation_m = | population_footnotes = <ref>{{cite web|url=https://nsa.nsa.org.na/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Preliminary-Report-doc-fn.pdf|title=2023 Population & Housing Census Preliminary Report|website=Statistics Namibia|df=dmy|access-date=2024-03-16|archive-date=2024-03-24|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240324152514/https://nsa.nsa.org.na/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Preliminary-Report-doc-fn.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref> | population_total = 218,421 | population_as_of = 2023 census | population_density_km2 = auto | population_demonym = | population_note = | timezone1 = [[Central Africa Time|CAT]] | utc_offset1 = +2 | timezone1_DST = | utc_offset1_DST = | postal_code_type = | postal_code = | area_code_type = | area_code = | blank_name_sec1 = | blank_info_sec1 = | blank1_name_sec1 = | blank1_info_sec1 = | blank2_name_sec1 = | blank2_info_sec1 = | blank3_name_sec1 = | blank3_info_sec1 = | iso_code = | website = {{URL|https://kavangoeastrc.gov.na}} | footnotes = }}

'''Kavango East''' is one of the fourteen [[regions of Namibia]]. Its capital is [[Rundu]], its governor is [[Bonifatius Wakudumo]]. The region was created in 2013 when the [[Kavango Region]] was split into Kavango East and [[Kavango West]]. The only self-governing settlements in Kavango East are the capital Rundu and the village of [[Divundu]].

The region contains the western half of the [[Caprivi Strip]]. In the north, Kavango East borders the [[Cuando Cubango]] Province of [[Angola]], and in the south and southeast the [[North-West District (Botswana)|North-West]] District of Botswana. Domestically, it borders the following regions: *[[Zambezi Region|Zambezi]] – east *[[Otjozondjupa]] – southwest *[[Kavango West]] – west

Because of its rather high rainfall compared to most other parts of Namibia and its location on the [[Kavango River]] after which it is named, this region has agricultural potential for the cultivation of a variety of crops, as well as for organised forestry and agro-forestry, which stimulate furniture making and related industries. Kavango East and its sister region Kavango West are nevertheless the poorest regions in Namibia.<ref>{{cite news | title=Kavango East not a poor region - governor | last=Kandjimi | first=Shoki | date=5 November 2020 | newspaper=[[New Era (Namibia)|New Era]] | page=1 | url=https://neweralive.na/posts/kavango-east-not-a-poor-region-governor}}</ref>

==Politics== The Fourth Delimitation Commission of Namibia, responsible for recommending on the country's [[Administrative divisions of Namibia|administrative divisions]] suggested in August 2013 to split the [[Kavango Region]] into two. Then-president [[Hifikepunye Pohamba]] enacted the recommendations. As a result, two new regions of Kavango East and [[Kavango West]] were created.<ref name=split/> As of 2020, Kavango East had 80,450 registered voters.<ref name=election2020>{{Cite web | title=Regional Council 2020 Election Results | publisher=[[Electoral Commission of Namibia]] | date=18 January 2021 | series=''Interactive map'' | url=http://elections.na/ | accessdate=11 May 2021 | archive-date=12 June 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210612210020/https://elections.na/ | url-status=dead }}</ref>

===Administrative division=== [[File:Wahlkreise in Kavango-Ost (2014).svg|thumb|360px|right|Kavango East constituencies (2014)]]

The region is subdivided into six [[Constituencies of Namibia|electoral constituencies]]:<ref name=wait>{{cite news | title=Kavango awaits second governor | last=Haufiku | first=Mathias | date=22 August 2013 | newspaper=[[New Era (Namibia)|New Era]] | url=http://www.newera.com.na/namibian-national-news/kavango-awaits-governor/ | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130831013840/http://www.newera.com.na/namibian-national-news/kavango-awaits-governor/ | archive-date=31 August 2013 | url-status=usurped}}</ref><ref name=split>{{cite news | title=President divides Kavango into two | last=Nakale | first=Albertina | date=9 August 2013 | newspaper=[[New Era (Namibia)|New Era]] | publisher=allafrica.com | url=http://www.newera.com.na/articles/53580/President-divides-Kavango-into-two | url-status=usurped | archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20141022020857/http://www.newera.com.na/articles/53580/President-divides-Kavango-into-two | archivedate=22 October 2014 | access-date=16 August 2013 }}</ref> * [[Mashare Constituency|Mashare]] * [[Mukwe Constituency|Mukwe]] * [[Ndiyona Constituency|Ndiyona]] * [[Ndonga Linena Constituency|Ndonga Linena]] * [[Rundu Rural East|Rundu Rural]] * [[Rundu Urban]]

In the [[Namibian local and regional elections, 2015|2015 regional elections]] [[SWAPO]] won in all six constituencies<ref>{{Cite web | title=Regional Council Election Results 2015 | publisher=[[Electoral Commission of Namibia]] | date=3 December 2015 | pages=6 | url=http://www.ecn.na/documents/27857/223442/Regional+Counils+Election+Results_Duly+elected+candidates+2015.pdf/32493774-80b3-4be3-9ca1-1f6ce187673a?version=1.0 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151208163948/http://www.ecn.na/documents/27857/223442/Regional+Counils+Election+Results_Duly+elected+candidates+2015.pdf/32493774-80b3-4be3-9ca1-1f6ce187673a?version=1.0 | url-status=dead | archive-date=8 December 2015 }}</ref> and obtained 79% ([[2010 Namibian local and regional elections|2010]]: 73%) of all votes.<ref name=election2020/> In the [[2020 Namibian local and regional elections|2020 regional election]] SWAPO was still the strongest party but its support dropped to 62% of the popular vote, and it lost [[Rundu Rural]] to an [[independent candidate]].<ref name=GG7654>{{Cite news | title=Publication of results and particulars in respect of general elections for Regional Councils: Electoral Act, 2014 | newspaper=Government Gazette of the Republic of Namibia | issue=7654 | pages=7–8 | publisher=[[Government of Namibia]] | date=8 October 2021 | url=http://www.lac.org.na/laws/2021/7654.pdf | format=pdf}}</ref>

===Governors=== # [[Samuel Mbambo]] (2013–2020)<ref name=wait/><ref name=Governor>{{Cite news | title=President announces governors | newspaper=[[The Namibian]] | date=10 April 2015 | url=https://www.namibian.com.na/president-announces-governors/ | archive-url=https://archive.today/20150414075438/http://www.namibian.com.na/indexx.php?id=25471 | archive-date=14 April 2015 | url-status=live}}</ref> # [[Bonifatius Wakudumo]] (2020–present)<ref name=Goodbye/>

==Transport== There is a particular dearth of north-south roads in the Region, apart from the Rundu-[[Grootfontein]] main road. Rundu has a small airstrip to accommodate medium-sized tourist or cargo aircraft in daylight only. The poor condition of the roads and the long distances had a negative effect on tourism; this situation was improved by the completion of the [[Trans–Caprivi Highway]]. A major highway connecting Rundu to western Kavango and the [[Ohangwena Region]] is under construction.

==Demographics== As of 2023, Kavango East has a population of 218,421 residents, of which 102,310 ({{%|46.8}}) are male and 116,111 ({{%|53.2}}) are female, with an annual growth rate of 3.9%. On average, a woman has 4.3 children. 56.9% of the population live in urban areas, and the other 43.1% live rural areas. The average population density is 9.1 people per km<sup>2</sup>. Only 19.4% of the population has access to the internet, although 38.3% own a cellphone. The literacy rate is 82.0% in those older than 15 years. 14.1% of the population has never attended school, while 46.9% has at least some primary school, 18.8% has at least some secondary school, and 9.7% has at least some tertiary education. 84.7% of the population has access to safe drinking water, and 49.5% have access to a toilet facility. 42.6% have electricity sufficient for lighting in their homes. In terms of income, 32.5% make a living off of wages or a salary, 16.4% receive a pension, 14.8% work on farms, and 10.1% are employed in non-farming business.<ref name="Census">{{Cite web|url=https://census.nsanamibia.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/2023-Population-and-Housing-Census-Main-Report-28-Oct-2024.pdf|website=Namibia Statistics Agency|access-date=April 9, 2025|title=2023 Population and Housing Census Main Report|archive-date=November 10, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241110234059/https://census.nsanamibia.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/2023-Population-and-Housing-Census-Main-Report-28-Oct-2024.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Within the region, 46% of the population speaks [[Kwangali language|Rukwangali]] natively, primarily in the Vakwangali and [[Mbunza]] tribes. 21% speak [[Bantu languages]] like [[Luchazi language|Luchazi]], 18% speak [[Rumanyo language|Rumanyo]], 8% speak [[Thimbukushu language|Thimbukushu]], 5% speak other Namibian languages such as [[Oshiwambo language|Oshiwambo]], and 2% speak European languages.<ref name="Council">{{Cite web|title=Regional Profile|website=Kavango East Regional Council|url=https://kavangoeastrc.gov.na/regional-profile |access-date={{today}}}}</ref> == References == {{Reflist}}

==External links== * [https://kavangoeastrc.gov.na Kavango East Regional Council official website] {{Commons|Kavango}} {{Wikivoyage|Kavango}}

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[[Category:Kavango East| ]] [[Category:Regions of Namibia]] [[Category:Constituencies established in 2013]] [[Category:2013 establishments in Namibia]]