It is named after its main municipal, administrative and commercial center, Mitooma.

[1] This location lies approximately 85 kilometres (53 mi), by road, west of Mbarara, the largest city in Ankole sub-region.

The district was created by qn Act of Parliament and became functional on 1 July 2010.

The sub-region, which is coterminous with the Ankole Kingdom, comprises the following districts: 1.

The sub-region was home to an estimated 2.2 million people, according to the 2002 national census.