[4][5][6][7] Positioned in the northwestern part of Uvira Territory, Lemera spans an area of 37,527 square kilometers and, as of 2015, has an estimated population of 288,293, predominantly comprising Fuliiru people.

[19] The local economy relied on agriculture, producing fruits, vegetables, rice, beans, pork, and goat meat, supplemented by goods such as salt, fabrics, batteries, and medicines.

[21][18] In 1981, with funding from the Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA), Jean Bugwika oversaw the construction of halls and a hydroelectric dam to provide electricity and water to the hospital and the broader Lemera's populace.

[22] By May 1964, rebels had seized control of the Ruzizi Plain, encompassing the strategic corridor between Bukavu and Uvira, effectively entrapping missionaries stationed in Lemera.

During the First Congo War, Lemera Hospital functioned as a military medical facility, providing care for both Forces Armées Zaïroises (FAZ) personnel and civilians.

[34] Subsequent military offensives launched by the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (FARDC) on 26 November targeted Rwandan Hutu rebels affiliated with the CNRD-FDLR in neighboring Kalehe Territory, resulting in the displacement of over 3,000 civilians.

Many of these displaced people sought refuge in Lemera and its surrounding areas, including Chambombo, Bihovu, Shanje, Numbi, Bibatama, Kalungu, Nyabibwe, Bushushu, Kasheke, Nyamugari and Chirimiro.

[40] On 12 May, the Twigwaneho rebel faction (aligned with the Banyamulenge) and allies led by Colonel Michel Rukunda, alias Makanika, attacked a Mai-Mai Biloze Bishambuke camp in Masango village, in the Bijombo groupement of the neighboring Bavira Chiefdom.

[42] On 19 December, over 380 heavily armed Burundi National Defence Force (FDNB) commandos traversed Lemera en route to confront the Burundian RED-Tabara rebels.

[43] Subsequently, on 3 January 2022, RED-Tabara declared via a tweet that its forces had engaged in combat against the FDNB in the highlands of South Kivu, specifically in Gashenyo and Kitembe, resulting in at least 10 fatalities and approximately 20 injuries on the opposing side.

[45][46] Eric Muvomo, coordinator of ACMEJ/Katogota, reported that nearly 100 displaced children were taken in by the NGO Espace d'Amis d'Enfance (EAE) in Kidote, situated within Lemera's middle plateau.

Major crops include cassava, beans, peanuts, coffee, peas, bananas, rice, corn, sorghum, wheat, and soybeans as well as fruits like oranges, mangoes, mandarins, guavas, and avocados.

[48] Beans, grown centrally between Rubanga and Mulenge, serve as a staple in local cuisine, commonly accompanied by bugali—a starchy dough-like dish made from boiled and pounded ingredients such as cassava—and as an export commodity.

The town is home to a large, white-painted church operated by the Communauté des Églises de Pentecôte en Afrique Centrale (CEPAC), which can accommodate approximately 2,000 worshippers.