Kampala

Kampala is the modern, sprawling capital of Uganda. During the civil strife that began with the defeat of Idi Amin in 1979 the city became a looted ruin, but it has since been restored marvelously. When President Yoweri Museveni came to power in 1986 looting, fighting and corruption slowly came to an end. Nowadays it is safe to walk around both day and night and there is a lot to see.

The capital is divided into 5 political divisions of Kampala, Kawempe, Makindye, Nakawa and Rubaga. It is said Kampala is built on seven hills, but Nakasero Hill in the city center is probably the only one you'll see when you visit the city. The top half of the hill is reserved for the city's richer population. There are wide avenues, lined with trees and large, detached houses behind protective fences. Most embassies and government offices are situated there as well. At the top of the hill stands the Old Fort.

Going downhill, you will come to a completely different area, filled with small shops, cheap hotels, noisy street markets, Hindu temples and a lot of traffic. Between these two parts of the city runs Kampala's main thoroughfare named Kampala Road, which turns into Jinja Road at its eastern end, near the railway station. Uganda House is also on Jinja Road.

The Uganda Museum is situated on Kira Road. It has a nice collection of traditional musical instruments, which you can play if you feel like that. Another interesting site are the Kasubi Tombs on Kasubi Hill, just off Masiro Road. They are often referred to as the Ssekabaka's Tombs. The huge traditional reed and bark cloth buildings are part of a royal palace enclosure that was originally built in 1881. The kings of the Baganda people, known as kabakas used to live there. The tombs contain the bodies of Muteesa I and his son Mwanga, as well as Sir Daudi Chwa and his son Edward Muteesa II, the last of the kabakas. He died in exile in London in 1969, after being deposed by Obote three years earlier.

There are several important religious buildings in Kampala. The Kibuli Mosque dominates Kibuli Hill on the southern side of the railway station. Another interesting mosque is Uganda National Mosque. On Rubaga Hill you will find the massive Roman Catholic Rubaga Cathedral. The Anglican St. Paul's Cathedral is on Namirembe Hill and sometimes referred to as Namirembe Cathedral. It is west of the city center and drums are played there during services. In the center of town is the huge Sikh Temple. The Baha'i House of Worship is also worth a visit.

Other places of interest in Kampala include Mengo Palace, the Parliament building, Stride monument, Independence Monument, Namugongo Martyrs Shrine, the National Theatre, Kampala Worker's House and Makerere University.

Not far from Kampala, at Entebbe are the botanical gardens. They were laid out in 1901 by the British.

There is an enormous amount of hotels, hostels, guesthouses, dormitories and campsites in Kampala. The amount of restaurants, bars and nightclubs is also staggering. Kampala is one of the safest cities in Africa. You can walk around even in the middle of the night without any problems. The railway station is southeast of the city center, while the bus and matatu (minibus) stations are located near South Street, west of the railway station, near the Nelson Mandela National Stadium in the southern part of the city center. Kampala's International Airport is 30 km south of the city, not far from Entebbe. Ferries to the Ssese Islands in Lake Victoria leave from Kampala's Port Bell three times a week. The Uganda Wildlife Authority Office is several kilometers northeast of the city center. Booking to visit Uganda's National Parks can be made there.

Hours from UTC: 3
Daylight savings time: n/a

City phone code: 41
Country phone code: 256