Kaoma

Kaoma is a town in the Western Province of Zambia and the headquarters of Kaoma District, set on the M9 road about 460 kilometres by road west of Lusaka and west of Kafue National Park. It was earlier called Nkoya, Mankoya and by several similar forms, and its official name became Kaoma in 1964. The name Nkoya comes from the first ethnic group said to have settled the area around the sixth century, and the Nkoya people hold the annual Kazanga Ceremony in the district between April and August. The town had an estimated population of 14,200 in 2006. Its climate is humid subtropical with clear wet and dry seasons, and local institutions include the district hospital, the district administration offices and a women's centre offering scholarships and vocational training.