Explore Entebbe

Entebbe is a major town in Central Uganda. Located on the Lake Victoria peninsula, the town was, at one time, the seat of government of the Protectorate of Uganda, prior to Independence in 1962.

Entebbe sits on the northern shores of Lake Victoria, Africa's largest lake. It lies at 0.0500N, 32.4600E (Latitude: 0° 3' 0.00"; Longitude: 32° 27' 36.00"). The town is situated in Wakiso District, approximately 37 kilometres southwest of Kampala, Uganda's capital and largest city. The Municipality is located on a peninsula into Lake Victoria covering a total area of 56.2 square kilometres out of which 20 square kilometres is water.

In 2011 the UBOS (Uganda Bureau of Statistics) estimated the population of Entebbe at approximately 79,700.

"Entebbe", in the local Luganda language, means a "seat", and was probably named that because it was the place where a Baganda chief sat to adjudicate legal cases. It first became a British colonial administrative and commercial centre in 1893 when Sir Gerald Portal, a colonial Commissioner, used it as a base. Port Bell went on to become Kampala's harbour. Although no ships dock there now, there is still a jetty, which was used by Lake Victoria ferries. Entebbe is perhaps best known to Europeans as the home of Entebbe International Airport, the main international airport of Uganda, which was first opened in 1929. It was also from this airport that Queen Elizabeth II departed Africa to return to England in 1952 when she learned of her father's death and that she had become Queen.

Entebbe features a tropical rainforest climate with relatively constant temperatures throughout the course of the year. Entebbe has noticeably wetter and drier months, with January being the city's driest month and a noticeably drier stretch from July through September. Entebbe's wettest months are April and May. Entebbe's average annual temperature is approximately 21 degrees Celsius.

To get to Entebbe from the rest of the country will usually involve passing through Kampala, the country’s capital city. Small minibuses go to Entebbe from Kampala and vice versa on a very regular basis. Speak to the bus conductor about the minibus fares. The journey itself can take anywhere from 1 hour to 2 hours. This is all dependent on the traffic on the day.

Boda-boda (Motorcycle Taxi) is the easiest choice to go around. However, boda-boda accidents are commonplace and hiring a taxi from a trusted source would be your best bet, albeit slightly more expensive. For more information on the Entebbe International Airport and on Entebbe town, please refer to the pages on Entebbe in the magazine

EIA is the principal international airport of Uganda. It is near the town of Entebbe, on the shores of Lake Victoria, and about 41km’s by road from Kampala. The coordinates of the airport are 00°02'41"N, 032°26'35"E (Latitude: 0.044721; 32.443055). The headquarters of the Civil Aviation Authority of Uganda are located in a new block off the airport highway. The airport is served by several African and international airlines.