Kapoeta is a town in

South Sudan South Sudan (), officially the Republic of South Sudan, is a landlocked country in East Africa. It is bordered on the north by Sudan; on the east by Ethiopia; on the south by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda and Kenya; and on the ...

. It is located in Kapoeta South County, in Eastern Equatoria State, in southeastern

Location

The town lies on the east bank of the Singaita River. The post at Kapoeta was established by Captain Knollys, who reached the river in January 1927. This location lies approximately , by road, east of

Juba Juba is the capital and largest city of South Sudan. The city is situated on the White Nile and also serves as the capital of the Central Equatoria, Central Equatoria State. It is the most recently declared national capital and had a populatio ...

, the capital and largest city of South Sudan. The town sits at an elevation of above sea level.

History

Kapoeta was upgraded to Town status administered by a town clerk on August 19, 2013.

Transport

The main road from Lokichogio,

Kenya Kenya, officially the Republic of Kenya, is a country located in East Africa. With an estimated population of more than 52.4 million as of mid-2024, Kenya is the 27th-most-populous country in the world and the 7th most populous in Africa. ...

to the capital city of

Juba, South Sudan Juba is the capital and largest city of South Sudan. The city is situated on the White Nile and also serves as the capital of the Central Equatoria State. It is the most recently declared national capital and had a population of 525,953 in 20 ...

, runs through Kapoeta. The town is also served by Kapoeta Airport which, in 2011, was little more than a dirt strip.

Population

, the population of Kapoeta was estimated at 7,000.

Culture

Kapoeta town sits in a land dominated by the Toposa ethnic group. The

Didinga The Didinga (also spelled DiDinga) are a Surmic ethnic group that occupy the Didinga Mountains region in Budi County, Eastern Equatoria State in South Sudan. They live in the valleys, on the plateaus and slopes, and on the adjacent plains of t ...

also live in the area, but they are farmers and tend to inhabit the fertile, wetter hills, whereas the cattle-centric Toposa people dominate the plains.

In popular culture

Kapoeta is a destination for the many South Sudanese who are chronicled in the nonfiction book ''Lost Boy, Lost Girl: Escaping Civil War in Sudan''.

Points of interest

The following points of interest are found in or near Kapoeta: * The offices of Kapoeta Town Council * The headquarters of ''Kapoeta South County'' * Kapoeta Airport – a civilian airport to the north of town * Kapoeta Power Station – A 0.9MW high-speed diesel plant, commissioned in 2011 * The Narus River – Seasonal River, prone to flooding

References

{{Authority control Populated places in Eastern Equatoria Kapoeta South County