The town of Binyiny, where the district headquarters are located lies 69 kilometres (43 mi) northeast of Mbale, the nearest large city.

The district was created by act of parliament and started functioning on 1 July 2010.

The district is located on the northern slopes of Mount Elgon, at an average altitude of about 1,900 metres (6,200 ft), above sea level.

The 2002 national census estimated the population of the district to be approximately 67,200.

[3]The Mbale-Moroto Highway passes through the western environs of Kween District, in a general north to south direction.