About Kampala City

Kampala district lies within Buganda Kingdom in the Central part of Uganda. The area neighbors Wakiso district to the south, west and north while the municipality of Kira lies in the east. The geographical coordinates of the district are; 00 19N, 32 35E. The UBOS population review of 2011 put the population in Kampala at a figure of 1,659,600 people.
Because of its close proximity to the Equator, the weather in Kampala is warm all year-round. There are two rainy seasons from March through May and from august through December.

View of Kampala city

Mutesa1, the Kabaka (king of Buganda) had chosen the area that was to become Kampala as one of his favorite grounds for hunting. Rolling hills and wetlands featured the area making it a perfect ground for breeding by a range of game particularly species of antelope, the Impala (Aepyceros Melampus). The area was thus locally referred to as Akasozi k’empala and upon the arrival of the British they translated it into Kampala for easy pronunciation thus forming the origin of the name that today characterize this safari destination.
Traditionally, Kampala city covered seven hills including; Kasubi hill, Namirembe, Rubaga, Makerere, Kibuli hill, Nsambya and Old Kampala hill. However, the city has expanded over time to include more hills. Apparently, Kampala is divided in to five administrative divisions namely; Makindye division, Rubaga division, Kawempe division, Nakawa division and Kampala Central division.
Kampala is the capital city, economic and social hub of Uganda and its origins can be attributed to Capt. Frederick Lugard who set up a camp at Old Kampala in 1890 though the surrounding hills had in fact lain at the political center of Buganda for several decades past.
Kampala served as a showpiece of the East African Community in the first decade of post-independence era. It was a spacious garden city with a cosmopolitan atmosphere and bustling trade. The city was also a cultural and educational center with Makerere University regarded as the academic heart of East Africa. Though this entire image deteriorated during the reign of Idi Amin dada, the city today is practically unrecognizable from its potholed, war scarred incarnation of the mid-1980s.

Traffic jam at peak hours in kampala

Horrendous traffic apart, Kampala is pleasant enough city remarkably safe by comparison with the likes of Nairobi or Dar-es salaam and its glut of restaurants, nightclubs, bars, cinemas and other modern facilities has made it a more popular place for over landers and backpackers to hang out for a few days. The city has a range of sightseeing centers including the Kasubi tombs and Uganda Museum while other worthwhile sites of interest lie within day tripping distance. These include organized excursions to raft the Nile near Jinja or visit Chimpanzees of Ngamba Island as well as more low key goals such as the Botanical Gardens in Entebbe, the forest Reserves of Mpanga and Mabira plus the swamp of Mabamba.