malumga

Malumga is a locality situated in the northern part of the Great Rift Valley region, within the administrative boundaries of the Maji District. The village is perched at an elevation of roughly 1,200 metres above sea level and is surrounded by a mixture of savannah grasslands and small montane forest patches. The name Malumga is derived from the local Bantu root mŭlu, meaning “ever‑green,” a reference to the perennial vegetation that historically has sustained the community.

The population of Malumga is estimated at around 2,500 residents, according to the latest census conducted in 2021. The inhabitants belong predominantly to the Gedecha ethnic group, who maintain a traditional semi‑sedentary lifestyle that combines small‑scale agriculture, pastoralism, and artisanal crafts. The main economic activities in the village include subsistence farming of millet and sorghum, goat rearing, and the production of hand‑woven mats and baskets that are traded in the regional market in the town of Wamalumka.

Malumga also hosts a primary school established in 1994 and a health clinic that serves both the village and neighboring hamlets. In recent years, the community has been involved in several conservation initiatives aimed at protecting the surrounding forested areas from overgrazing and logging. The village is accessible by a gravel road that connects it to the main highway linking the district capital with the national capital city.