Kampala

About Kampala City

Kampala, a city that never sleeps is Uganda’s bustling capital and by far its largest urban centre, with a population of over 1.5 million. The fast growing city has a distinctive setting on series of prominent hills near Lake Victoria. Although Kampala has long outgrown its historical title of City of seven hills, the original summits remain focal points, topped by distinctive landmarks of cultural, religious and colonial significance.

The original number of hills was 7 but has since grown into many. These include; Mengo, Kibuli, Nakasero, Kololo, Rubaga, Makerere, Namirembe to mention but a few. There is also the hill of the impalas known for its multitude of impalas, since Kampala was at one point in time, a designated hunting ground for impalas. Cultural, historical and religious sites are also embedded in the fabric of Uganda’s political and social history.

Namugongo Catholic and Anglican Martyrs’ Shrines, where the Christian martyrs lost their lives by Kabaka Mwanga’s orders as a symbol of their faith is thronged by thousands of believers from across the East African region, annually, on 3rd June. The Uganda Museum, that harbors lots of historical relics and archeology, the National theater where culture and customs of Uganda is uniquely expressed through dance, drama, music, poetry and folk songs, ancient significant monuments and admire art and the passion put into every artistic curving both around the city center and Makerere University and the warmth and hospitality of Ugandans.

The Kabaka’s palace is ripe with tons of attractions to see and learn about especially the Idi Amin torture chambers built in 1971, the Kabaka’s lake built by Kabaka Mwanga II to act as a channel connecting to lake Victoria so as to act as an escape route in case of an attack.