Kampala fondly known as ‘The Green city in the sun’ is a magnificent city, the largest and most lively city in the country Uganda. The administrative capital of Uganda, Kampala regained its status as the capital city of Uganda after independence in 1962. The city nearing the Lake Victoria to the South depicts both colonial and modern architecture, with historical and folklore facts and as once an ideal habitat for “Impala” the city was referred to as the “Hill of Impala” which is translated in Luganda as “Kasozi K’ empala” and finally “Kampala”.
Located on an altitude of 1,180m above sea level, Kampala has a population of about 2 million people spread over 21 hills on which the city stands. The city has since spread from a 19 square kilometers hamlet, to become the “city of 7 hills”.
The hills that make up Kampala includes:
- Nakasero Hill which is 4,134 feet above sea level is a residential as well as a commercial district. Main attractions: State House, major hotels and shopping centers.
- Kololo Hill which is 4,305 feet above sea level is a residential area with beautiful houses and well planned roads. Main attractions: Kololo Airstrip, with a burial ground for “national heroes.”
- Nsambya Hill which is 4,010 feet above sea level is known as the home to the Mill Hill fathers. Main attractions: St. Peters Pro-Cathedral and Nsambya Hospital.
- Naguru Hill (4,331 feet), Mbuya Hill (4,269 feet): Mulago Hill (4,134 feet) is a home to Mulago Hospital and the Uganda Museum, Makerere Hill (4,188 feet) home to Makerere University, Buziga Hill (4,322 feet) and Muyenga Hill (4,3285 feet) are residential areas for upper class, Mutundwe Hill (4,312 feet), Mutungo Hill(4,208 feet), Kireka Hill (4,189 feet) a home to Mandela sports stadium, Makindye Hill and Banda Hill is a home to the Queen Mother’s palace.
- Old Kampala Hill which is 4000 feet above sea level, is a combination of both industrial and suburban area with buildings mostly in Indian style. Main attractions: Include the Fort built by Captain Fredrick Lugard near the old Kampala mosque and the seat of the Uganda Muslim Supreme council.
- Mengo Hill which is 4000 feet above sea level got its name from “Mengo” a Luganda word meaning grinding stones. History has it that people from Ssesse Islands who settled on this hill used stones to grid food. Main attractions: Kabaka’s palace (King’s palace), The Kabaka’s lake which is the biggest man made lake in the country with a wide range of Bird species, The 1900 Agreement between the Kabaka of Buganda and British colonial officers was signed in Mengo, Kisingiri’s three storied 100 roomed house more than 100 years old and more than 100 hundred old giant turtles imported from the Seychelles Islands.
- Namirembe Hill which is 4,134 feet above sea level got its name from “Mirembe” which means “Peace”. Main attractions: St. Paul’s Cathedral, The Kasubi Tombs – Royal Burial grounds for Buganda Kings, Uganda’s first hospital-mengo Hospital started by Sir Albert Cook, The Bulange-Buganda’s Parliament and Sanyu babies’ home an orphanage.
- Rubaga Hill which is 4,134 feet above sea level derives its name from “Kubanga” which means to “Plan”. Baganda generals planned their wars on this Hill. Main attractions: Rubaga Cathedral, Pope John Paul VI Memorial hall, Burial grounds of the country’s first Bishop and the first black Archbishop south of Sahara.
Kampala, a green and hilly city is safe and has grown to become a hub of international activities as well as the nations commercial, Industrial and financial center. The city with a wide range of accommodation as well as entertainment facilities ands is one of the fastest growing cities of Africa.
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