Explore Kampala

Kampala is the capital city of Uganda. It is in the South Central part of the country close to the shores of Lake Victoria. The City is divided into five boroughs that oversee local planning: Kampala Central Division, Kawempe Division, Makindye Division, Nakawa Division and Lubaga Division.

Kampala District lies within the Kingdom of Buganda, in Central Uganda. The district is bordered by Wakiso District to the south, west and north by Kira Municipality to the east. The co-ordinates of the district are: 00 19N, 32 35E.

The Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS) estimated the mid-year population of Kampala was1,659,600 in 2011.

Mutesa I, the Kabaka (king) of Buganda, had chosen the area that was to become Kampala as one of his favorite hunting grounds. The area was made up of hills and wetlands. It was an ideal breeding ground for wildlife, particularly a species of antelope, the impala, (Aepyceros Melampus). When the British arrived in the area they called one of the hills “The Hill of the Impala” due to the large presence of impala. The native Baganda used this reference in their local dialect (Luganda) - “Akasozi K’empala”. It is worth noting that it is not unusual for Luganda to adopt the soundings of English words into the language - for example a car in Luganda is “emotoka” (a motor car). So K’empala formally became “Kampala” with repeated usage, and when the British colonial rulers needed a name for the city they adopted this reference. Traditionally, Kampala was a city of seven hills, but over time it has come to have a lot more.

Because Uganda is located near the middle of Africa, close to the equator, the weather in Kampala (the capital city) is warm throughout the year. Although travel is possible throughout the year, there are certain months that are more comfortable than others because of rain. On average, the hottest months of the year in Kampala are October and February, during which time the daily temps will generally hover in the upper 80’s and the lower 90’s. The coldest months of the year in Kampala on average are June and July, during which time the daily high temps will generally reach the lower 80’s. This temp comparison shows that there is little variation from month to month. The two rainy seasons are from March through May, and from the end of September through January.

There are three methods of public transportation: boda-boda, matatu and special hire taxis. The fastest method is the boda-boda; motorcycles that you see all over the city. You won’t be in Kampala long before being propositioned by a Boda driver. If you’re not interested, a simple “no” will get them to leave you alone. You can get almost anywhere on the back of one for between 1,000 and 2,000 UGX, but make sure you agree on the fare before the ride begins.

There are a lot of bars and nightclubs in the city. There are also a number of cinemas that are located within some of the shopping malls. Kampala has eight casinos and around twelve shopping malls, some of which have recently been built.